Save You, Save Me
by sheeperz
Summary: Sometimes trials in life make everything seem impossible. But that's when we can learn life's greatest lesson: that it's not the twists and turns you encounter in the road of life that are important, but rather who you have with you on the journey that makes all the difference.
1. Chapter 1 - Out of the Jaws of Death

**You know the drill. I don't own the story or characters from CW's BatB. All that's mine are the story lines that my muse whispers in my ear...**

**Chapter One - Out of the Jaws of Death**

_Come on Vincent, answer!_ Catherine's desperate, unspoken demand silently willed Vincent to pick up his phone and talk to her. She _had_ to see him, to connect with him… to make amends for her behavior at the wedding reception. Vincent's voicemail kicked in, and she punched the disconnect button in frustration, then immediately redialed. He couldn't ignore her calls all night… could he? Pain stabbed through her heart at the thought he might do just that. She glanced up at the rear-view mirror, only half noticing the reckless swerving of the car behind her. If she hadn't been so distracted she might have realized what was about to happen before it was too late…

Vincent stared at the display on his phone, his heart torn. More than anything he wanted to talk to Catherine, but after what happened earlier, he wasn't sure that was wise. He had already let his guard down with her once, foolishly thinking that they could have some sort of relationship. He should have known better. He was a cursed man-beast who didn't deserve to be loved, especially by someone like Catherine. He could still feel her words twisting in his gut as she told him he was becoming more "animal". And when he said he needed to leave, he had secretly wanted for her to beg him to stay, to weather the storm in her arms, but her response was to basically tell him that loving him was too big a risk. He supposed he couldn't blame her, but it still hurt like hell.

If he was in his right mind, he would admit to himself that the very things about her that made him want her were the very things that he would eventually destroy – her goodness, her honesty – things that already were suffering as she lied over and over to the people she loved and respected on a daily basis, just to keep _him_ safe. Not to mention protecting him from murder charges…

His heart sank as he watched the call roll over to voicemail and disappear for the second time. No matter how much he knew in his head that he needed to let her go, to let her have a real life, his heart insisted on clinging to the irrational hope that maybe… somehow… someday… things would work out between them, if only he had faith.

As his phone began ringing for the third time in as many minutes, he couldn't help himself and he pushed the talk button to answer it. But what he heard was the last thing he expected. He stood frozen as the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal assaulted his ears – just before he heard Catherine scream and a lot of crashing that sounded like a car rolling right before the line went dead. "Cat-?" he choked out, but there was no response except silence. "Catherine!" he screamed into the night, then turned and ran. He retraced the path back toward the reception, knowing it was the same route that Catherine would travel to return to the city. He ran faster than he ever had in his life, needing to find her, to make sure that she was alright. She _had_ to be alright. His life wouldn't be worth living if anything ever happened to her. He had almost reached the highway when he heard the shots…

_Please God,_ Catherine pleaded, as white-hot pain seared through her shoulder. _Please don't let me die here, now, like this. Not before I get a chance to tell Vincent-_ Her thoughts began fading into darkness as her brain purposed to shut down her consciousness in an attempt to dampen the pain. As if from a great distance she heard someone calling her name… _Vincent…._ She tried to answer; tried to call out to him, but nothing worked. It was like she was trapped inside her body, screaming at the top of her lungs to a world that couldn't hear her. There was a sound of wrenching metal that might have been right next to her, or a mile away. In her half-conscious haze she couldn't be sure. But the one thing she _was_ sure of was that with utmost care, her beast was lifting her out of the twisted metal prison and cradling her close to his heart, nuzzling her with his cheek so tenderly that it would be hard for anyone who witnessed it to ever think him to be a crude, unfeeling creature. Her last fleeting thought was how she wished she could touch his cheek and tell him how much she loved him. Then, knowing that she was safe in Vincent's arms, Catherine finally let go and slipped into a dark cocoon of oblivion.

"Is that my car?!" Evan noted the edge of terror in Heather's question. He couldn't blame her. He was feeling pretty terrified at the moment himself. The wreck he was looking at in front of him didn't bode well for the driver. And that was indeed her car… "Cat!" Heather's cry hit his ears at the same moment he saw an imposing figure walk into the path of the headlights, carrying the limp form of a woman. There was no doubt as to who she was. But who was the man? The way he held her – rocked her - seemed almost as if he was someone who… cherished her. But something else about him made the hair rise on the back of Evan's neck. Somewhere in his subconscious, pieces were starting to fall into place, even if fear was keeping his mind from processing the evidence it was logging. But instinct was strong, and as he jumped from the car he commanded Heather to stay put. There was just something about the silhouette of this stranger… the way he moved… Evan proceeded with caution, not quite sure what to expect.

Nearing the scene, he could hear ragged breathing. Deep, hoarse breaths that sounded almost… _not human._ Could it be…? The situation was getting more complicated by the moment. He had no idea what kind of reasoning capabilities a cross-species being possessed – oh yes, he knew in his gut that's who he was dealing with – so he moved slowly, never taking his eyes from the beast. As he drew closer he called out calmly, "It's alright, I'm here to help." His biggest fear was not that the creature would harm Catherine – not with the almost reverent way it cradled her so protectively. But he had to make sure it didn't bolt and take Catherine away from the help she obviously needed.

Evan only advanced a couple more steps before the beast lifted his face from where it had been nestled against Catherine's, and looked squarely into Evan's face. It was a sight Evan would remember for the rest of his life, as he stared at this deformed creature – half man, half… something else – who had tears streaming down his cheeks and looked as if its whole world was about to end. "Please…. Help…. Her…." Although the gravelly voice could only be classified as inhuman, there was no denying the tenderness and sense of helplessness encompassed in the desperate request. Apparently the human DNA still allowed it a degree of rational thought, to understand the gravity of the situation and acknowledge that he was in no position or shape to be the one to help her. It had reasoned out that her best hope was to get someone else to care for her, even if it meant exposing himself to a stranger.

The creature's head jerked up and it became agitated, eyes getting wild with fear as it began to move restlessly. What had spooked it, Evan wondered? "Please… help…" the beast stammered again, starting to pace in little circles, holding Catherine closer to him. Evan knew that if he didn't calm it down, it was going to be a flight risk, in spite wanting help for Catherine. But before he could act or even _think_ about doing anything, the creature walked right up to him and demanded, "Take!" It emphasized what it meant by holding Catherine's body out for him to take. It was then that Evan heard the first screams of the approaching emergency vehicles and understood what had upset the beast. It didn't want to be seen. It had already revealed itself to one person and couldn't take any more chances.

As the monster-man gently laid Catherine in his arms, Evan was suddenly confronted with the dilemma about what he was going to do concerning this creature that had risked exposing itself against its own sense of self-preservation to save his friend and co-worker. He instinctively knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that _this_ was the secret Cat had been keeping from them all for the last few months. He and Tess had engaged in more than one conversation about how distant their friend had become and how she seemed to be withdrawing into herself, often disappearing with the lamest excuses. Now he knew why. After all, this wasn't the kind of secret you shared with even your best girlfriend. But he also knew Cat, and if she felt that this man-beast was worth protecting, he wasn't going to go against her wishes, at least until he had a chance to talk to her.

He looked down at her lying so limp and still in his arms. _If_ he got a chance to talk to her. He hoped with all his heart that he would. When he looked up again, the beast was gone. But his gut told him the creature hadn't gone far.


	2. Chapter 2 - Come What Sorrow

**schroederplayspiano:** Yes, but did you see the look on his face when he got out of Heather's car? He's a bright guy. And this has been the foremost thing on his mind lately. He probably was thinking about it all the way back from the reception to avoid listening to Heather's incessant, flirtatious chatter. (laughs)

Thanks so much for the reviews guys. Don't know HOW you found this story. Even when I'm looking for it half the time I can't find it... =/ I hope you'll enjoy the ride. :) Don't worry - there's plenty more to come, to fill those loooong days between now and Jan 24! The story will draw some from spoilers and previews, but with my own spin and interpretations.

**Chapter Two – Come What Sorrow**

Vincent's beast remained hidden in the shadows of the forest along the highway, watching as the paramedics tended to Catherine. His eyes never left her face, his heart breaking inside his chest, fighting with every ounce of his humanity to keep from roaring like the wounded beast that he was. Even if he had been in full human form he would have struggled to maintain his silence. For all the years he'd been on the run, all he'd seen – all he'd _done_ that he'd regretted with every fiber of his being - he'd never felt the kind of soul-searing pain he was experiencing now. If she didn't make it…

His fists clenched. _No_. She _had_ to make it. It couldn't end like this. He couldn't lose her now, never having told her what she meant to him. Not that he could stand losing her period, but to lose all opportunity and hope of ever telling her how much he loved her? It was unthinkable. Vincent's head was clearing just a little, his beast receding ever so slightly to afford him some rational thought, which was almost more painful for the mental anguish he had to deal with in addition to the primal emotions that were raging through him.

God, he'd been such a fool to walk away from her earlier. Why had he let his stupid pride stand between him and the woman he loved? His mind had been reeling from the shocking revelation that not only had Evan been "studying" him – specifically his DNA – but that apparently the humanity he still possessed was now in danger. Sure, Catherine had some sort of feelings for him _now…_ but what if things progressed to where he lost more and more of what made him the man she cared for? What if she eventually had to turn him in and have him locked up to keep him from hurting himself, others, or – God forbid! – herself? He didn't want her pity, or to be a burden on her. All he wanted was to be with her; to grow old together, to spend a lifetime loving her, and be loved in return. He knew it was a pipedream, but it was one he'd been nursing for the last 9 years as he watched her grow into the beautiful, strong, confident woman she was today.

He watched as the ambulance pulled away from the scene, lights flashing and sirens blaring. He was just about to turn, when he saw Evan glance in his direction. He knew that the other man couldn't see him, but it was an acknowledgment that Catherine's co-worker knew he was there, somewhere, watching over her. He wondered how someone he'd just met could have discerned so much in those few moments, but there wasn't any point wasting time trying to reason it out, especially when his judgment was still clouded. He watched as Heather, with her heart beating erratically and her breathing ragged, walked into Evan's embrace sobbing. Evan held her and rocked her gently, although his eyes never stopped scanning the woods for some sign of the beast he'd met. A part of Vincent was relieved at the prospect that maybe Evan would turn his affection to Catherine's sister. He didn't want to be in competition with someone that now knew he existed. The man could ruin everything. But it was a chance Vincent had had to take in order to save Catherine. Even in his right mind he would have made the same decision again a thousand times, because she was far more important to him than his own life. Finally, he disappeared deep into the woods, heading back to the one person that could help him now – JT.

JT was busy beefing up the security system when he heard Vincent come crashing into the warehouse. He lifted his head and listened – normally Vincent was as stealthy as a hunting lioness. Something must be wrong if he was charging around like a wounded-

His thoughts were interrupted as Vincent came crashing through the door into the loft. When JT caught sight of his friend he froze, half from shock, half from fear. Vincent seemed to be stuck in some 'tween state, half man, half the beast, and he was looking pretty wild-eyed. Was this some sort of new fugue state surfacing? His eyes never leaving the beast, he began to fumble for the case that held his tranquilizer gun. He'd been tossed like a ragdoll into the concrete wall once before, and he wasn't exactly eager to be tossed like a sack of potatoes again. He would trust Vincent with his life when Vincent was in his right mind. But like this? Who knew what could happen? Although…

He paused a moment to really look at the beast before him. Something was definitely different about this manifestation. He wasn't raging, throwing things and generally tearing up the place. He just stood there, staring at JT, looking…. wounded. "Ohmygod, Vincent are you alright?" All thoughts of personal safety fled JT's mind as he rushed to his friend's side.

For all JT's bluster, Vincent was his weakness, and the depths of his compassion for his best friend knew no bounds. It's what had spurred him to spend literally thousands of hours in the past decade reading and studying and researching, desperately trying to find a way to reverse the experiment that had ruined Vincent's life. Sure, he had had to cut himself off socially from the rest of civilization to keep this secret they shared. But Vincent was his friend and something unspeakable had been done to him. What kind of friend would he be, if he turned his back on a man that had lost so much – endured _so much_? He never could have lived with himself. And in all honesty, it never even crossed his mind.

He watched in horror as Vincent fell to his knees and gave a roar that was so desolate it could only mean one thing. JT dropped to the floor in front of him and grasped his friend's shoulders gently. "It's Catherine, isn't it? Something happened to her?" JT hadn't really expected a verbal response. He'd never been able to converse with Vincent in this state before. So he was startled when Vincent answered him in a deep, hoarse, semi-human voice filled with despair.

"Accident… hospital…. WHY?!" A primal sob erupted from him, and in a fit of helpless misery he slammed his fists on the floor, shattering the boards and embedding splinters into his hands and wrists. With another roar he yanked his fists back up through the planks and stared at the spikes of wood sticking out of them.

JT held out his hand toward Vincent. "Here, let me help," he commanded gently. Vincent was breathing heavily from the stress of trying to keep himself somewhat together, but with some of his rage now spent, he did as he was instructed and held out his hands to let JT remove the fragments of wood from his thickened skin.

"Do you know what hospital they took her to?" he asked, as he yanked a particularly nasty piece of splintered wood from the back of Vincent's hand, hoping to distract him from the pain. No such luck. He paused, waiting very still when his friend growled and winced. "O-kay," Vincent ground out, letting JT know it was safe to continue. JT was still astonished at this new aspect of the beast. Could Vincent be somehow willing to keep the beast at bay, knowing how much was at stake for Catherine?

"Don't… know," Vincent said all of a sudden, breaking into JT's clinical musings.

"Hu-what?" JT struggled to connect the dots and figure out what Vincent was trying to say. He really needed to keep his mind in the present and leave the analysis until after the crisis was over. "Oh – the hospital. Well then, as soon as we finish this little chore I'll just call around and locate which ER she was taken to. I doubt they'll tell me much, but at least we'll know where to head off to."

Vincent was overwhelmed by JT's kindness. He knew his friend had grave misgivings about his "relationship" with Detective Chandler, but none of that seemed to matter just now. JT was being the supportive friend, taking charge, and bearing some of the burden of the situation that was like a crushing weight on Vincent's chest. He felt his heart rate start to slow and his breathing evened out a little more. JT was unaware of the changes because his attention was on getting the last of the splinters out of Vincent's hands. His speech was still slightly stilted, though his voice sounding more like himself when he said softly, "Thank you, JT."

JT's head snapped up and he assessed Vincent's condition. He heaved a mental sigh of relief to see his friend looking more like himself than he had just a few minutes ago. "Hey – no problem, man," was all he said. The one thing that Vincent _didn't_ need from his friend was pity, and well JT knew it. "All done," he announced, and then before things could get any sappier between them, he vaulted to his feet and crossed the room to his desk, intent on calling the local ER's to find where Catherine had been taken.

Vincent sat and watched thoughtfully as his friend took control of the situation, his mind partially distracted from his agony. He realized for the first time since this whole nightmare began that for all that had gone wrong in his life, he did have things to be profoundly grateful for. And JT was near the top of the list… right behind Catherine. He was humbled by the thought of how many people there were in this world that weren't as fortunate as he was. What a jerk he'd been walking away from his precious Catherine, hurting her and pushing away something a lot of people would die to experience – pure, unconditional love. Yes, he was blessed. He just hoped that his epiphany wasn't too late, and hadn't come at an unspeakable price.

His attention quickly returned to the situation at hand when he heard JT conversing with someone about Catherine's condition. He'd found her! Vincent's heart began to race again, this time from elation as he realized Catherine was still alive, and as long as she was breathing, there was hope. He wouldn't allow himself to consider any other possibilities. If it was within his power, he would will her back to his side, and if given a second chance, he promised the universe right then and there that he would never squander it away or take the future for granted again. He scrambled to his feet and began pacing, anxious for JT to hang up so he could know what the hospital's side of the conversation was.

"Well, she's at Sinai, and they're prepping her for surgery," JT announced as he disconnected the call. "She's pretty messed up from the crash, but _it's the_ _gunshot wound that has them worried?!_ Just what haven't you told me here, Vincent?" Borderline hysteria. Things were returning to "normal".

Vincent reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that… apparently the accident wasn't so… accidental. You know that Sabrina Meyer woman that Cat was going to take down for murder? She rammed Catherine's car and from the looks of it, she flipped over at least a couple times – anyway, I guess she didn't want to take any chances that the injuries wouldn't kill Catherine, so she shot her."

"Oh. My. God. Did she get away? Wait… how do you know it was Sabrina?"

In spite of the tragic situation, Vincent actually lifted one corner of his mouth in a half-smirk. His Catherine was an amazing woman, and he was so proud of what she'd done. "I know it was Sabrina because somehow – and I have _no_ idea where she got the strength after seeing how wrecked that car was – Catherine managed to shoot the matchmaker from hell, and she was just lying on the road when I got there." He suddenly sobered at another disturbing thought. "You know, I was so fixated on making sure Catherine was safe, I never even noticed what happened to Sabrina's body. It's an awful thing to say, but I kind of hope she was already gone when the emergency crews arrived. I'd say she got what she deserved."

"Well, I can ask when we get to the hospital. You best get out of that suit and into some comfortable traveling clothes. It'll make you less conspicuous." For the first time it registered with Vincent that he'd still been in his suit from the wedding when Evan had found him holding an unconscious Catherine. He couldn't help wondering what kind of conclusions Mr. Hotshot M.E. drew from _that_ scenario. He bolted up the stairs to change, suppressing a smile at the thought.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Mask of Night

**To those of you who are wondering: **Yes, I will be dealing with the whole "Alex" issue in this fiction. I am pretty much playing off whatever CW has released SO FAR, trying to stay true to the series up until the point I run out of shackles that they have created and then I will go off on my own. But trust me when I say, I am dealing with these issues and spoilers _in my own way_, twisting them and interpreting them in ways I'm fairly certain the CW is not intending to go, simply because, what fun would it be if I wrote a story that is already being told? Also... I plan to deal with Alex using much less drama and angst than the CW's month long taunting of VinCat shippers with all those nasty nasty photos, lol... Mind you, I'm not worried in the least about the Alex story arc, but I think that was just cruel throwing those out of context photos up in our faces. :P lol

I am so profoundly grateful and humbled by your kind and encouraging comments. (Please feel free to mention this to your friends if you are enjoying the story!) Here's your reward. :)

**Chapter Three – The Mask of Night**

Vincent paced nervously around the perimeter of the Mt. Sinai campus, anxiously waiting for some word from JT about Catherine's condition. Even though it had only been 15 minutes since they arrived, it seemed like an eternity. God, he didn't even know if the bullet had gone clean through or was lodged somewhere in her shoulder! Had it hit an artery? He'd noticed quite a bit of blood on the sleeve of his suit coat where his arm had supported Cat behind that injured shoulder. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think it was enough to indicate a serious bleeder. Now, in full possession of his rational senses, he realized how dangerous it had been to pluck her out of the car instead of keeping her still. But his beast knew no reason when it came to her. The only way he knew to protect her was to be a barrier between Catherine and anyone trying to harm her. Dr. Vincent Keller, though, knew that sometimes the best way to help someone was with your brain, not your brawn. He sighed. All he could do was hope and pray that he hadn't done _more_ damage than good when he had moved her.

His cell ringing snapped him out of his dark thoughts. "Yeah, what did you find out?" he asked without preamble.

"She's still in surgery, obviously, and we won't know anything definite for at least another hour. But apparently the bullet did exit without doing extensive damage so that's something to be thankful for. They weren't sure about internal injuries from the crash though. Hopefully surgery will be in and out and they won't find any more problems to deal with."

Vincent knew that JT couldn't see his nod of agreement, but he was too choked up to speak at the moment, thinking as he was about the endless possibilities of the types of injuries Catherine could have sustained that the naked eye couldn't detect. And he hadn't had a chance to look her over with a clinical eye and a clear head before he'd handed her off to Evan. "Keep me posted," he finally managed to say on a strangled growl of frustration. How he wanted to be with her! He wanted to make sure that she got the absolute best care and even then he wanted to be able to oversee her treatment to make sure nobody screwed up. Not that the staff at Mt. Sinai were incompetent, it was just that he had a vested interest in making sure no oversights occurred. But for now, all he could do was resume his relentless pacing of the blocks surrounding the place where the woman he loved more than his own life fought for hers. And try to keep as calm as possible.

JT slipped the phone into his pocket and walked back to the ER to wait for news. As he entered the waiting room he quickly realized his mistake. "YOU!" JT's head snapped up and looked in the direction of the voice only to see Catherine's partner and M.E. friend barreling down on him. He suddenly felt caged, and turned to hastily retreat through the doors he had just entered. It was no use though; Tess and Evan were hot on his heels and he had barely cleared the building before they grabbed him. "Stop right there," Tess commanded as she flashed her badge. "NYPD. We have some questions for you."

Since escape was out of the question, JT opted to play dumb. He turned to face them with an "I'm clueless" smile he had worked hard to perfect. "Questions? Me? Whatever about?"

"You know _exactly_ what about," Evan growled menacingly. "First you break into my lab and try to sabotage my work, and now you turn up here - wait. Why _are_ you here?"

"Huh? Oh, uh… I'm just checking on… a friend. But I can come back later, really." JT tried to sidestep Evan, but it was no use.

"I don't think so. You're up to something and I want to know what it is. Are you here because of Catherine? Is that it?" A fuzzy thought was starting to form in the periphery of Evan's mind and warning bells were telling him to tread carefully with this conversation in front of Tess. He still didn't know the extent of Cat's relationship with this cross-species humanoid, and what her reasons were for lying to her closest friends about it. Until he did, he wasn't going to betray her confidence that had been given to him without her consent. Just as JT was about to open his mouth to say something, Evan stopped him. "Hold that thought…. Tess? Can you please go wait inside for news about Catherine?"

"But-"

"Please, Tess, for me? There are some… sensitive things I want to discuss with this… _gentleman_ in private. Boring research stuff, you know? And like you said… it may not even be a chargeable offense. I need to have some more information from him first, ok?"

"Al-right," Tess responded with more than a little doubt and hesitation. "But I'll be right inside if you need me. Cell is on."

"Got it." Evan watched as Tess turned on her heel and walked back through the sliding doors into the ER. "Ok, now that we have some privacy, I want the truth. No messing around trying to lie to me, because I'm not the gullible type. This is about Catherine and her… special friend, isn't it?"

JT sighed, realizing that the damage was already done, thanks to Vincent's heroics, and there was no hope but to come clean and hope that his friendship with Catherine would be enough to convince the good doctor to keep his mouth shut about the whole incident. "Yeah, yeah it is. I hear you uh… 'met' Vincent earlier…"

For all that Evan had pieced together, that surprised him the most. Apparently that poor monster had gone straight to the little vandal and somehow grunted and relayed in broken language what had happened. Would wonders never cease…

"Wait a minute. Did you just call him Vincent?" Evan questioned. Where had he heard that name recently…

"Uhh well…" JT realized he had just given Evan more information than he'd already pieced together. _Damn_.

Evan's eyes went wide as the proverbial light went on. "Is that… _creature_… Vincent Keller? Is that why forensic evidence makes him appear to be a little too alive and well for a guy with a death certificate?"

JT's head dropped as he let out a loud sigh. Half of New York was going to be in on their secret soon, the way things were going. "It's really a long story, but to answer your question, yes, he's Vincent Keller."

Evan nodded. "Well then, yes, I met the former Dr. Keller at the accident scene. It was obvious he had nothing to do with what happened and that he was only trying to help… _this_ time." Now that the beast had a name, Evan was finding it impossible to continue thinking of him as an "it." "But that doesn't explain the DNA samples we have of him found at numerous other crime scenes all over New York. Including the night I was kidnapped." Evan held up a hand to stop the flood of verbiage threatening to spill from JT's mouth. "That said, I trust Catherine implicitly, and for _some_ reason she has been protecting Keller for quite a while now I suspect, and out of respect for her I will reserve final judgment until I have a chance to talk with her and find out _why." _Crossing his arms over his chest he added, "So now… why don't you tell me who you are, and what you were doing in my lab, hmm?"

JT blew out the breath he'd been holding in. "OK… JT Forbes, biochem professor. In all honesty, I was there using your DNA analyzer because I needed it to formulate a serum from some notes we found in Vanessa Chandler's research related to these… _fugue _states that her 'super-soldiers' were experiencing. Vincent had never exhibited any of the symptoms while he was in the program, and had blocked most of his memories of the experiments until recently. Anyway, long story short, I needed the equipment to try and find a solution to Vincent's lapses into animal insanity. So far it appears to be working, so…"

"JT! What the hell are you doing?!" Vincent growled from the shadows. "Why don't you just get a producer and make a Lifetime movie about it? Whatever happened to 'tell no one'?!"

"What?! YOU are lecturing ME about exposure? After what you pulled tonight? He already knows bits and pieces and thinks he knows more than he does. I'd say that makes him more dangerous than if he knew the whole truth at this point!" JT was keeping his voice to a hoarse whisper, but he was in full rant mode. With Vincent's super hearing he didn't have to talk very loud to know his friend could understand him, even though Evan could only make out half of what he was saying.

"I know but you didn't have to confirm what your involvement in this mess is!"

"Hey, _you_ opened Pandora's Box when you let Cat in on our secret. This is just going to keep cascading out of control _because_ _you can't stay away from each other_."

Serum ingredients: $296.34. Pilfered lab equipment usage: $0.00. But the look on Evan Marks' face at the moment he realized the disembodied voice in the bushes belonged to Vincent Keller - speaking like a normal human? _Priceless. _JT could almost envision the commercial for it now. He dipped his head to look at his shoes in a vain attempt to hide a smirk he couldn't contain, despite it being rather inappropriate under the circumstances. Nothing about this situation was remotely amusing. Strange, how the mind reacts to stress sometimes.

Evan looked first from JT to the shadowy figure standing by the bushes, and back to JT with utter confusion. Sure, this voice was deep and gravelly and Evan recognized some of the timbre of the voice he'd heard come from the beast at the accident scene, yet this was _totally_ and unmistakably _human_. Thinking he must be confused – that this couldn't possibly be Vincent Keller lurking in the darkness - he carefully edged his way into the shadows off the sidewalk path. Just before Evan got close enough to make out his features, Vincent leaned in suddenly and went, "BOO!" Evan nearly jumped out of his skin, and Vincent couldn't help but laugh at the way his heart started racing.

Evan scowled as he looked at Vincent, making sure that was indeed who stood facing him. No doubt about it. "Very funny, Keller. I'd think given the fact that I could make life very difficult for you, you'd be a little nicer to me."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest in a parody of Evan's earlier gesture meant to intimidate JT. "Is that so?" he asked mockingly. He took a menacing step closer to Evan, who stood frozen in place. Leaning in just a bit so he was eye to eye with his adversary, he explained, "Well see, _I'd_ say that given the fact I saw you kiss the woman I'm in love with, I _am _being nice. You know… _relatively speaking._" GOD it felt SO GOOD to admit that he loved Catherine out loud! Vincent had all he could do not to climb on a roof and shout it to the whole world.


	4. Chapter 4 - An Honorable Villain

**Thanks so much for the feedback and for sticking around. I really appreciate it! **

**Chapter Four - An Honorable Villain**

Evan tried to laugh but it came out somewhat strangled, what with his heart lodged in his throat at the way Vincent was glaring at him. "Y-you're in love with her are you? Does_she_know this?" He felt triumphant when he saw the smile disappear off Vincent's face. His victory was to be short lived, however.

"Yeah- er, well… she_did_… I think. But I did something really stupid tonight and I'm pretty sure she was coming to find me when the accident happened. God, I was such a fool to think I could walk away from her like that." Vincent turned so he was no longer hovering in Evan's personal space, jamming his hands into his pockets in a defeated gesture. Tears welled in his eyes and he swallowed hard against the emotion that overwhelmed him. "If anything happens to her because I wasn't there to protect her…"

"Wait… tonight? But Catherine was at her father's wedding and reception. How could you-" Evan's brow furrowed as he got a flash of insight and some more of the dots seemed to be connecting themselves. A memory of the beast holding Catherine wearing a suit skittered across his consciousness. "She told you about my research, didn't she? That's why she was grilling me for information. You were_there_?"

"Yeah, I was. But when she told me what you'd found, I kinda freaked. Said some things I'm not proud of, and walked away from her because if what you say is true, how could I ever ask her to go through that with me? Although I'll admit, I was kind of hoping she'd try to stop me, but… she didn't. I guess in the end it really_was_just too much to hope that this thing between us would work out."

"Wait a minute, back the bus up," JT interrupted. "What_research_?_Findings_? Vincent, what the hell are you not telling me?"

"Sorry, JT, there just hasn't been time…"

"I've been studying Vincent's DNA from old crime scenes where allegedly he was trying to help victims." Evan's voice held a note of skepticism, but he refrained from making any overt accusations, even though there were several other people that it seemed Vincent had clearly murdered along the way. He'd deal with that later when he talked to Cat. I_f I get a chance to talk to her again…._He looked toward the ER entrance with concern. He wished they could just know if she was going to make it or not so he could stop worrying.

"Monster Headquarters to Evan." JT's voice broke through the haze Evan had slipped into thinking about Catherine. "So you've been_studying_Vincent?" He rubbed his temples to try and stave off a raging headache. "Seriously, I'll wait and freak out about that later. What did you find?"

"It's his uh… DNA… specifically the L2 capsid. It's mutating. Basically, the animal nucleotides are taking over for the human ones. He's becoming less… human."

"Hey, standing_right here_," Vincent interrupted with a wave. "Stop talking about me like I'm invisible. And like I told Catherine, I feel_fine_. Never better."

"Yes, well clearly there are things about you I don't know or understand," Evan allowed. "Like, how it is, you appear to be a perfectly normal male one minute, and a beast the next? And how this even happened to you? JT mentioned 'super-soldiers'?"

Vincent briefly explained the whole Operation Muirfield thing and how adrenaline triggered the change in him. "Muirfield is the reason I pretended to be dead. They put out an order to exterminate all of us. I'm the only one from the project that has survived because of it. Up until a few months ago, JT was the only other person who knew I'm alive. But Catherine found out, and Muirfield sent assassins out after her, kidnapped her, and tried to get her to turn against me and give me up. His head dropped in shame as he thought of how faithful she had been to him, and how he'd failed to give her the one thing she apparently needed – hope. He continued without looking up, but his voice was softer and strained with emotion for the remorse that was gripping him. "She never even entertained the idea of turning me in, you know? She kept insisting that I'm not a monster, even though they showed her pictures of things I'd been involved in. She had doubts about me, but she never gave up on me, even when I did. I turned myself in to protect her and JT, and she stormed the place to get me back." He did lift his face then, staring up into the night sky, and Evan could see a lone tear sliding down his cheek as he added, "She is the most…_amazing_woman I've ever known."

"Yes, she is," Evan agreed, "even more than I realized, apparently. It makes sense now why she has been keeping us all at a distance lately, but I can't believe she went through this alone. At any rate, I don't want to see her hurt. Surely you can understand that."

"I would never hurt her!" Vincent insisted.

"Maybe not physically," Evan allowed. "At least… not yet. But if we can't do something to stabilize your DNA and stop the mutation, eventually you'll become too dangerous for her to be around. But that's not what really worries me. I don't want to see you break her heart. Cat is… one of the kindest, gentlest people I know, sometimes to a fault. She wears this tough shell to keep everyone around her at bay, but there have been rare moments where I've seen her vulnerable when she thought no one was looking. So if she's let her guard down with you, it's pretty serious, and you could hurt her badly without even realizing it, because she's gotten so good at hiding from everyone. For example, you said you wanted her to try and stop you from leaving this evening… but did it ever occur to you that she thought you were rejecting her? And that's why she let you go? Because she thought you really just wanted to get away from her?"

"No, I would never-!" Vincent was devastated. Could Catherine really have thought he wanted her out of his life? After all they had been through? Once she had told him that it never occurred to her that he didn't know he was the best thing in her life… but had he ever told her she was the best thing in his? Let her know how much he cared for her, even if he hadn't dared tell her how much he loved her? No. He'd been just as guilty as she of assuming that they were on the same page regarding their feelings. How could he have been so blind? Not to mention selfish. He was so busy feeling sorry for himself for this whole miserable situation that he hadn't fully appreciated the beautiful gift that Catherine had given him – herself. Her hopes, her dreams, and her acceptance… she had put it all out there for him, and what had he done? Walked away and left her standing there, all alone in it. He sorted through his feelings in silence, and Evan waited patiently as he did so. Finally Vincent spoke. "I swear to you… I_will_talk to her and get this sorted out."

"Well this is all touching," JT stated, "but can we get back to business? Marks, you said something about 'we' when you mentioned stabilizing Vincent's DNA. Does this mean you're willing to help us?"

"Are you kidding? Do you really think I would miss the chance of a lifetime for this kind of research experience? Besides, I already got a huge grant for this project." Evan grinned like a little kid who'd just been given the keys to the candy shop.

"What are you…_nuts_? We can't do this out in the open and then just_publish_it. Vincent's life is at stake here! Nothing has changed. No one can know he's alive. Muirfield has already figured it out, but if he gets named in some cross-species DNA study, everyone that works on the project will be on the Muirfield hit list. These people don't play nice."

"Well maybe there's a way that we can research the_principles_that we'd need to formulate a cure for Vincent, without actually naming him as a subject in the study." Evan grew thoughtful. "It's too bad we don't have the original research from the project that created you. It might make things easier." Something was niggling at the back of his brain… something that JT said earlier… "Wait a minute. Did you say_Vanessa Chandler's_notes helped you make that serum for Vincent?"

"Yes…" JT answered hesitantly.

"Are we talking, Vanessa Chandler as in_Cat's mother_?"

"One and the same."

"She was an infectious disease specialist. What was she doing with notes on cross-species DNA?" Evan was feeling confused, and yet he sensed some more pieces were starting to line up, about to fall into place.

It was Vincent who answered. "Catherine's mother worked for Muirfield. She's the one that headed the project."

"Oh my God," Evan murmured. "So then… her murder… it wasn't random, was it?"

"Not in the least. She knew too much, and she was interested in helping us, not having us all killed to clean up their mess. I think she became too big a liability, so they killed her to shut her up."

"That means… the night that she died… you were there obviously._You_saved Cat's life, didn't you? That's why you killed those men. You were protecting her." Evan was beginning to understand why the bond between Catherine and Vincent was so strong.

Vincent scuffed at the ground with his foot. "I wasn't there in time to save Dr. Chandler," he confessed sadly. He lifted his head and stared into Evan's eyes with such intensity, Evan swore they were starting to…_glow_. "But as long as I live, I will_never_regret killing those men. They were hired assassins, and if I hadn't killed them, Catherine would have died right then and there. She was just a kid practically, with her whole life ahead of her. What would_you_have done?" Vincent threw the ball squarely into Evan's court and waited for a response, while he struggled to get his heart rate and respiration back to normal. The moment of truth had come – would Evan finally realize that Vincent didn't like to kill? That he did so only when innocent lives were threatened?

"And if you hadn't come into that tunnel when you did and killed Hollingsworth,_I_would be dead." Evan couldn't condone vigilantism, obviously, but it seemed that there was at least some moral justification for the situations where Vincent crossed the line. "Tell me… what about the FBI agents in the subway tunnel? That was obviously your… work. Why them?"

Vincent's hands balled into fists as he remembered the horror of that night. His jaw tensed, and his voice was little more than a controlled growl. "Muirfield assassins. They were trying to kill Catherine. They had thrown her down onto the tracks and were going to kill her and leave her for the train to destroy the evidence."

Evan recalled how they had found Catherine's cell phone on the tracks. Neither he nor Tess had gotten a satisfactory explanation as to why she'd been on the F train platform that evening. Until now._"The bastards."_Evan was starting to get angry now, too. They had tried to kill Cat! And the one thing he hated more than a vigilante with a moral compass was "The Company" killing innocent civilians and somehow thinking they could operate above the law. He had to agree with Vincent in spirit, if not in methodology, that these criminals needed to be brought to justice.

Vincent started to relax marginally, seeing that Evan was beginning to comprehend the stakes in this dangerous life he was being forced to live. "I don't know what else to tell you, man, except that I don't_like_killing. I was a doctor. It goes against everything I ever believed in. But when it comes to kill or be killed? Or worse – to have Catherine's life threatened? I won't hesitate to kill again. If that makes me some sort of evil monster, so be it. But I think self-defense is still justified under the law, isn't it?"

Evan gave him a sad smile. "Yes, it is. It's just too bad you have to repeatedly be put in that position. Perhaps one day you won't be. In the meantime, however, we need to figure out how to stop your DNA from mutating any more than it already has. I don't think I have to explain why that has to be priority one." Vincent nodded in agreement.

"Well we still don't know_exactly_what the serum we made was designed to do, or how it affected Vincent's…_condition_," JT interjected. "I mean, I had no way of running DNA analysis_after Vincent injected himself with it_, against my better judgment I might add…" He gave Vincent a reprimanding look.

"Hey JT, chill man. I haven't had any blackouts since I took the serum, and for the hundredth time,_**I. feel. fine! **_Maybe Catherine was right. Maybe that's what those fugue-things were – my DNA starting to mutate. And just maybe, that's what Dr. C's serum was supposed to fix."

"The serum wasn't an antidote, Vincent. It was designed to treat the evident symptoms of the condition, not cure what ails you… so to speak."

"Well once we know that Catherine is out of danger we can start running some tests and see what's what –" Evan broke off mid-thought as Vincent dove for the bushes. "What the -?"

**You can follow me on twitter - BrennaOReillyNY**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Dangers I Had Passed

**A Special "Thank you" to all the Beasties worldwide that voted in the PCA's and helped BatB bring home the award!**

**Chapter Five - The Dangers I Had Passed**

Tess flung open the doors to the ER. "She's out of surgery!" she called in their direction. "Doc's gonna be here in a minute to let us know what's going on."

"Coming!" Evan called back, and Tess disappeared back inside. He heard Vincent crawling out of the shrubs and raised an eyebrow at JT for explanation.

"Super hearing," JT informed him. "One of the perks."

"Come on," Vincent barked as he blew past them on his way to the doors. "Let's find out how Catherine's doing."

"Whoa whoa wait a minute big guy!" JT yelled, running to catch up with him. "What do you think you're doing? You gonna just waltz in there like some normal guy that doesn't have a death certificate on file? Are you_serious_?"

"JT, no one has to know my name or who I am. I'll lurk in a corner away from the rest of you. With my 'super hearing' as you put it, I don't have to be standing in front of the doctor to still hear his report."

"Yes, but If I know you – and I think I do by now – you're going to want to 'talk shop' and ask questions, and the temptation to discuss her condition will gnaw at you until you cave and get involved. And then what? What if he recognizes you?"

"I doubt he will, JT," Vincent answered, stopping just before the automatic doors would sense his presence and open. "I was only a resident and it wasn't here, it was at St. Benjamin's. So unless he worked the ER there 10 years ago, he wouldn't have a clue as to who I am. Look, I promise I'll be careful. And if by some freak thing I do happen to know him I_promise_I'll keep my distance." He pulled the brim of his cap down a little lower over his eyes. "Now let's get in there before we miss the doctor altogether and all this arguing becomes a moot point." Vincent went in first, looked around and saw Tess and Heather just getting up to greet the doctor. He turned and walked in the opposite direction, finding a seat in a quiet corner to position himself so he could eavesdrop.

Evan and JT strolled in together and walked up just as the surgeon was introducing himself. "She came through the surgery with flying colors," he reported "The bullet, as you know, had gone clean through. She'll be pretty sore for a while but she should make a full recovery. Fortunately she was wearing her seatbelt and didn't sustain any life-threatening internal injuries, just some cuts and bruises, and a broken ankle. The biggest thing we have to watch her for is a concussion."

"What about the other woman who was brought in from the accident?" Tess thought to ask. "Is she still alive?"

"Sadly there was nothing we could do for her. She was DOA."

"Aww gee isn't_that_just too bad," Tess muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry," the surgeon said, getting a little edge to his voice. "I don't know what your issues with the other woman were, but your comment is pretty inappropriate considering your friend apparently killed her."

Tess whipped out her badge. "That other woman was a psycho-matchmaker who tried to kill my_partner_, if you must know. She'd already killed one man, and after_Detective Chandler_interrogated her, she knew she was going down for it. Apparently she figured she had nothing to lose, so why not kill the cop that spoiled it all for her? Now, forgive me, but inappropriate or not, I'm glad she can't do any more damage."

"My apologies for misreading the situation. But our professional objectives are not always compatible, as I'm sure you know. My goal is to preserve life whenever possible. I can't allow moral judgments to impair my ability to do my job. Those are best left for the legal system. In your line of work, you see the worst of humanity on a daily basis. I imagine it gets frustrating when you feel justice isn't served."

"It sure does. So you'll please forgive me if I don't get all torn up about the way this one turned out."

"Understood, detective. At any rate, Ms. Chandler is going to be in ICU at least until she regains consciousness and we see how she's doing. You may go check in on her one at a time for no more than 5 minutes before you leave. She's still sedated from the surgery so she won't respond to you, just so you know. You can call about her status in the morning to see if she can have visitors. She's in ICU 104. The nurses can direct you."

"Thanks so much, doctor," Evan said, extending his hand.

"Certainly," the surgeon replied as he clasped the offered hand in a firm shake. "Hopefully your friend will be out of here in a couple of days. Now if you'll excuse me I have another patient to tend." As he walked away, JT turned to make eye contact with Vincent, only to find his friend was nowhere to be seen. Now where had he ducked off to…? He trailed after Tess, Heather, and Evan as they went to the nurses' station and got directions to ICU. All the way there, JT kept looking around nervously for some sign of Vincent. He knew it was too much to hope for, that Vincent had gone home. He was lurking around here somewhere, JT was sure of it.

* * *

"Oh Cat," Heather whined with a sniffle as she held her sister's hand. "You_have_to pull through this. I need you big sis. Who else can I sit up all night with eating ice cream and crying over my train wreck of a love life?" She gave a teary laugh. "Although just between you and me, I really_really_like Evan." She waved her hand dismissively, even though Catherine couldn't see her. "Oh I know you said he's a flirt, but who knows? Maybe I can be the one to make him settle down." She choked back a sob as she bent to kiss Catherine's forehead. You rest, and I'll talk to you in the morning OK? I love you Cat." She walked out of the room and Tess gave her a hug before going in.

"Hey partner," Tess said softly as she walked up to Catherine's bed. She gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her friend's cheek. "You need to get better quick and get back on your feet. What am I gonna do without you? I mean, you know my luck. Joe will try to stick me with Wolanski for a partner. Next thing you know MY name will be on the police blotter for assault. That guy seriously winds me up." She took Catherine's hand and gave it a little squeeze. "I need you, Cat. You're the only thing that keeps me sane in that testosterone jungle." Tess just stood and watched Catherine breathe for a couple more minutes, before releasing her hand and leaving the room.

Evan slipped into ICU 104 and just stood by the door watching Catherine for a minute. So much had happened in the last couple hours, it was hard to process it all. Who was this woman that he thought he knew? This beautiful, vivacious girl that made him laugh, and was always finding some extra project at work to rope him into? He smiled remembering some of the "favors" she'd managed to get him to do for her.

It was a shame that she would never know what she meant to him. He knew that she saw him as a player, but that was what he'd always wanted her to think. The truth was, and he was finally ready to admit it to himself, he let her think that to keep her at arm's length because he was scared._More like terrified_, he thought. Deep inside, he knew that she was the one that could make him break his 3 month rule. But he just wasn't sure if he was the marrying type. And Catherine deserved that. She deserved… everything. After all she'd been through, he didn't want to be just one more failed relationship for her to agonize over. He wanted to see her happy – truly happy.

His thoughts turned to Vincent. Something told him here was someone that could give Cat her "happy ever after" if they could somehow find a way to at least keep his DNA from mutating any further than it already had. It was obvious that Keller was totally smitten with Catherine, and her feelings for him must be pretty powerful if she was willing to risk not only her relationships with friends and family, but her career and reputation to protect this poor tortured man. Joe had made it crystal clear that he wanted the rogue vigilante hauled in and brought to justice. If Cat was found harboring a known fugitive on Joe's 10 most wanted list, she was going to have bigger problems to worry about than desk duty.

Evan sighed. Who the hell was he kidding? They_all_were going to be in serious trouble if they got found out. All the more reason not to bring Tess into it. She'd never forgive them after her last brush with desk duty. He pushed himself off the wall he'd leaned against and crossed the room to her bedside. "Ah, sweet Catherine. What a fine mess we've all landed ourselves in, eh? So now I know your deep, dark secret that you've been keeping from us all. What I need is for you to wake up and tell me_why_you're risking everything to help Vincent Keller. And while you're at it, maybe you can explain why the hell I'm sticking my neck out too. You must be rubbing off on me." He smiled sadly as he leaned down to brush a kiss on her lips. "Be well, sweetheart. And be happy. Now that I know why you kept turning me down, I won't pressure you anymore."

When Evan left the room, Tess had already gone. He looked at JT, who was waiting for his 5 minutes with Cat, and said, "I have to take Heather home, and let her dad know what's happened." He pulled out his wallet and removed a business card. "Here's my number – when the dust settles, give me a call OK? We can start discussing our… collaboration."

JT nodded. "Yeah, I will. And Marks? Thanks." He watched as Evan pulled Heather to his side and escorted her out of ICU. When they were out of sight he took a deep breath and entered Cat's room.

There was something so wrong about seeing her lying there like that, he thought. So still… surrounded by the beeping and buzzing of machines tending to her broken body. He thought of all the times she had gone to bat for Vincent, and he felt ashamed of the way he'd treated her. He had come to realize that even though she may have crossed the lines sometimes, it was only because she had to learn where they were. He and Vincent had been living with those lines for 10 years. It was all new territory for her. And she had adjusted. In the end, her fierce loyalty to Vincent was more than he expected or ever could have hoped for.

"Hey Cat," he murmured as he stood next to the bed watching her. "I, uh… I just want to say how sorry I am for the way I've treated you. I guess I've been protecting Vincent for so long, it never occurred to me that there might be someone in this crazy world that could_really_love him in spite of everything he has going on. It wasn't that I was afraid you were going to rat him out; I just don't want to see him get hurt, you know? I realize that must sound silly, he's a big boy and all… but he's lonely. I've had to give up a lot in the social life department, but I still get to have a life. Vincent has nothing. Or at least… he_had_nothing until you came into his life." He paused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is,_thank you_. Thank you for seeing Vincent for who he is as a man and loving him as he is. I promise I'll be less of a jerk to you when you're back on your feet, OK? Just… get better. Vincent needs you. We_all_need you."

JT hesitantly reached out and patted Catherine's hand before turning and walking out. He never stopped as he exited the room; just kept on going until he reached his car. There was no point waiting around for Vincent. He'd find his own way home when he was good and ready. And JT was pretty sure that wouldn't be any time soon.


	6. Chapter 6 - Rough Winds Do Shake

And now... the part you've all been waiting for... LOL It's a little shorter than the others, but was a perfect place to break chapters. Don't stone me, lol. But DO let me know what you think! (Maybe I'm just sappy, but you might want to grab the tissues for these next two parts - I was actually tearing while I wrote it!)

**Chapter Six – Rough Winds Do Shake**

Several minutes after JT left ICU, the door to the supply closet next to Catherine's room opened, and Vincent slipped from one room to the next, cleverly disguised in some scrubs and a lab coat that he had "appropriated". He shut the door behind him, and silently willed the staff to stay away. He didn't want to have to come up with an on-the-spot story as to who he was and what he was doing in there, but if it came to that he would. Nothing was going to stand in his way of being with Catherine.

He pulled a chair up to her bedside and dropped into it. He was exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster he'd been on all evening. Reaching out, he lifted her slender hand and placed it in his own, cradling it gently for fear of hurting her with his unnatural grip. Normally he had control of himself, but being this emotional, he was afraid he'd be distracted enough to forget his own strength. He stared at her face, his thumb tenderly stroking the back of her hand as if willing the contact between them to wake her. He knew she needed rest, but _he_ needed to know she was really going to be ok. And he needed to tell her –

What? His brow furrowed in thought. What exactly would he say to her when she woke up? I'm sorry? Sorry for walking away? Sorry that I'm not… _human_? His mind was in such a jumble, he didn't know how he'd ever sort it all out. There was only one thing that he knew for sure – he loved Catherine with every beat of his heart. And apparently it was more than just a fleeting feeling, because he realized something tonight for the first time; not only did _he_ love Catherine, but his _beast_ loved her as well. It went far beyond protecting an innocent with her – his beast was protecting his chosen _mate._ That was why her touch could calm him when he couldn't calm himself. With her, he felt… _safe._ Ironic, he thought, how all this time she thought he was saving her, but in reality, she was saving him. In so many ways, day after day, she gave him what he needed to carry on - her hope, her faith, her friendship… her love. She'd never said the words, but he had seen it in her eyes too many times to not notice. Oh, he had tried to ignore it, afraid to trust that she wouldn't one day just get tired of the whole mess. But how many times had she risked her own life to save his? It upset him at the time, because all he wanted to do was make sure she was safe. His love for her wouldn't consider any other option.

His brow furrowed as a new thought came to him. Was it like that for her, too? Was that why she kept fighting for him, believing in him, trying to protect him at risk to herself? Because her love demanded the same commitment from her? Could it be that she actually loved him enough that living without him would bring her the same pain that he would endure if she were ripped from his life? He was afraid to hope.

Craving her touch, he lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek, as she had done so many times. Every time she did that something primal inside of him wanted to howl, it touched him so deeply. Now he just squeezed his eyes shut, tears seeping from between his lashes, thinking how close he had come to losing her tonight. And she still wasn't out of the woods.

Even without looking at the monitor, Vincent was aware of the change in Catherine's heart rate and respiration. Her head started tossing back and forth on the pillow as if in the throes of a terrifying nightmare. "No…. Vincent… please…." She let out a little sob and her voice grew hoarse, tight with emotion. "_Please don't leave me_…"

Vincent vaulted out of the chair and leaned over her, stroking her hair, brushing his lips against her forehead, trying everything he could think of to soothe her. "Sshh Catherine, it's ok. I'm here... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He was totally humbled. Evan had been right apparently. Because Catherine's subconscious was expressing what her broken heart wouldn't let her say to him at the reception. She _had_ wanted him to stay, but she thought he didn't want to be with her! Just when he thought he couldn't possibly love her or want to protect her any more than he did, he discovered there was no limit to the feelings his precious Catherine could stir in him. He nuzzled her cheek with his, softly kissed it, and then whispered in her ear, "Come back to me Catherine. I can't do this by myself any more. I need you here with me." He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

Once more he lifted her hand and brought it to his lips to place a tender kiss in her palm. As he did, he felt her fingers curl slightly and brush his jawline. His eyes darted to her face, and he watched her lashes flutter as if she was trying to wake from her sleep. He leaned down again and stroked her face. "That's it," he encouraged her. "You're almost back. You're strong – you can do it. _Fight for it_." Vincent knew he was being selfish, but he had to know she was going to be alright. He felt like his whole world was coming apart at the thought of possibly losing her.

"Vincent," she whispered, her eyes still closed. He thought he'd never heard a sweeter sound in all his life. He gently rubbed his thumb over her lips.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered back. His breath caught when she ever so softly kissed the pad of his thumb. He wondered what it would be like to have her warm lips pressed to his own. Slowly her lashes lifted until she could gaze the short distance into his eyes.

"Hey," she answered dreamily, her lips lifting in a barely perceptible smile. "You're… here." Vincent noticed her struggling to swallow and brought the small glass of water from her bedside table to her lips for her to sip. She closed her eyes again and sighed. "Thanks." She could hear him put the cup back, then felt him tenderly brush her hair from her face. She made the effort to open her eyes again. "Vincent… we need… to talk," she managed to say.

"Shh I know," he replied. "You've had a rough night, so how about I talk and you listen?" Catherine nodded and closed her eyes again. She would let him have his say, but then she was going to finish the conversation. There were things he _had_ to know…

"Catherine, I want – no, I _need_ to apologize to you for earlier…" Vincent sank down into the chair by her bed, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together as he stared at the floor. "I told you once before, I don't know how to do this. This whole… situation." He glanced up briefly, but found it hard to maintain eye contact with all the emotions running rampant inside him and looked away again. "It's been… a _really_ long time since I've had any kind of relationship with, you know, a woman…" He could feel his cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. "If things with me were… normal… this would be so much different. Easier. But I am what I am, y'know? And _you…_" Vincent blew out a deep breath. Summoning all his courage, he raised his eyes and his gaze collided with hers. "_You_ are not a normal woman." He could see the uncertainty in her eyes at his words and rushed on to explain, "What I mean to say is… you are the most _amazing_ woman I've ever known." Hes looked back to his hands, where he was rubbing his thumbs together nervously. "You're like… ten times better than any fantasy I ever had of the perfect woman. And I'm like, this hideous monster, and you deserve so much better than that. And as if that wasn't enough, now I find out that what I am… is likely going to get worse. If I thought I was being selfish before to think we could ever… have some sort of relationship… now it would be just insane of me to want you to have to go through whatever it is that I'm going to turn into. For all we know, it may not stop until there's nothing left of me." He reached out and took her hand and lifted it to rub his cheek against the back of it. "But I want you to know, the one thing that I _never_ meant to make you feel is that I was rejecting _you._ I walked away tonight because I finally realized I can't ask you to throw your life away on me. You don't need to go into a relationship knowing that one day I'm going to break your heart, no matter how much I…" Vincent swallowed hard against the emotion choking him, "no matter how much I care about you."

Catherine could feel the wetness of his tears on the back of her hand where it still rested against his cheek. What strength and courage it must have taken for him to make such an emotional sacrifice for her! He hadn't said the words, but she understood what he hadn't spoken. Now it was her turn to make amends. "Vincent," she whispered, knowing full well he could hear her. When he looked up at her, she closed her eyes as if she was exhausted. "Come closer," she breathed. Vincent honored her wish and rose from his chair to lean over her. She slowly removed her hand from his and placed her palm on his cheek. Slipping her fingers into his hair she curled her fingers slightly around the back of his head and using gentle pressure she urged him to bring his face closer to hers. "Help me sit up," she asked when they were almost nose to nose.

"Catherine, I don't think that's a good idea," he reasoned. "You should lie still."

"I'll rest afterward. It's only for a moment, I promise. _Please. _Just slide your arm under me if you would…" As Vincent did so, it gave her all the leverage and element of surprise she needed to close the distance between them and fuse her lips to his.


	7. Chapter 7 - Then Come Kiss Me

Well, I'm going to update tonight in appreciation of those who are faithfully giving feedback. I have to say, after I gave you all the VinCat kiss in a story that is staying totally true to the series (to this point), I'm disappointed that more of you didn't respond. I'm not sure what you're waiting for! =/

**Chapter Seven – Then Come Kiss Me**

Vincent thought his heart was going to stop. No, wait, it was going to explode. Oh hell, he wasn't sure _what_ was going to happen, all he knew was he had never wanted a kiss more in his entire life. He made a valiant effort to not succumb to the soft warmth of her lips gently teasing his, really he did. But in the end, both the man and the beast that struggled inside him demanded satisfaction for all the months of pent up longing he'd had for this angel lying in his embrace. Resistance became too much to bear and he melted into the unimaginable _purity_ of her kiss. Not that he didn't desire her, there was that; but there was something so… _beyond_ lust that was flowing between them, it blew him away. He could almost taste her love for him in her kiss, and in that moment he knew – she was his soul mate. The one woman in the entire world that completed him. How cruel was fate, to bring her to him now, when there was no hope of them ever being together?

He wanted to howl in frustration when their lips parted, because he knew he would have to live whatever was left of his humanity on that one, solitary, beautiful moment. He had no delusions that JT and Evan were going to be able to reverse or even stop what was happening to him. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, fighting the tears that wanted to fall. The pain of a breaking heart was so great, he almost didn't hear her quiet confession. "Vincent, I love you." He opened his eyes and let his watery gaze settle on her. Why was she doing this? After what he had just told her, why was she making this harder on him? Didn't she understand what keeping their relationship "just friends" was going to cost him?

"Catherine, please, don't…" he pleaded.

"Shush," she ordered. "You had your turn to talk; now it's mine. There are things you need to know." Catherine winced, and Vincent gently laid her back on the mattress. She grabbed his hand before he could move away, though, so he sat down on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, temporarily distracted by the beauty and strength of the hands that had more than once saved her life.

"I wasn't totally unconscious when you found the wreck," she confessed softly. "Right before you came, I prayed for the first time in years. I could feel myself starting to slip away, but I begged God to not let me die until I could tell you how much I love you." She looked up into his eyes. "I've never said those words to another man in my life, except my dad. But I mean it Vincent. I love you. With all my heart. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And I'm not willing to just throw that away because there are challenges." She blinked furiously at the tears threatening to spill over. "Even if the worst happens and we're not able to stop the mutation, I will forever cherish what time we have together. Please, I'm begging you, don't push me away. I don't think I could survive it."

"But don't you see? It will only be worse if we prolong it. If we grow closer it will only make it harder for both of us when the time comes –" He swallowed hard. " - when the time comes that you have to either stop me with force, or turn me in. Sooner or later, the reality of _what I am_ is going to become an issue between us, and you're going to have to finally accept it."

"Vincent, I'm totally aware of the reality of _who_ you are. Not _what_. And hear me well on this: I accept you for _all_ of who you are."

"Catherine, I don't deserve this. Your love, your acceptance… any of it. You've seen the things I'm capable of already. If it gets worse who knows what could happen?"

"You're wrong, Vincent. There is no man I know who deserves it more. You can walk away from me if you want, but it won't change the fact that my heart will _always_ belong to you. If you'll let me, I can walk this road _with_ you and if the unthinkable does happen? Well, we can cross that bridge together too. And in the end I will have a heart full of treasured memories for having had you in my life. Please don't deprive me of that." Tears were flowing like rivers down her face, but what moved Vincent even more was the strength of conviction in her eyes.

"Catherine, are you _sure_ this is what you want? That you can handle it? Because honestly, I would rather we drew the line here and now, than to have you look at me in horror if things start to get… bad. I can bear a lot of things, but having _you_ look at me as a monster? I would rather die." He stared at the floor a moment, thinking. "You know, I was so afraid the first time you really saw me when I was… different. I waited for you to run away but you didn't. You just stood there until I yelled at you and told you to go. And even then you hesitated. You saw me when I didn't want anyone to see me and still you stayed." Vincent looked down at where his fingers were now laced with hers, overcome with all he was feeling. "Your acceptance made me begin to believe that new things were possible for me. That I could maybe have some sort of life again. But that all came crashing down when you told me that my DNA is still mutating." He looked up at her, and when she gazed into his eyes she could see all the pain he was feeling reflected in them. "I mean… I could have handled that this is my life before you came along. After all, it was my own ignorance that got me into this mess. But you –you've changed everything for me. I want so much to be the kind of man you deserve, not this constant problem that needs fixing."

"Oh Vincent," she breathed. "You are _not_ a problem that needs fixing. _Every_ relationship has its challenges and heartache. That's the risk we take when we love someone. You know… that's why I was coming to find you tonight. I was so hurt to think you were pushing me away again, and that's what I meant was too big a risk, not that you aren't the 'normal guy'." She squeezed his hand gently. "I realized after you left the reception that you probably misunderstood. But it got me thinking, there are no guarantees in life for anyone. Loving is a risk, and you either accept that, or you spend your life alone. Believe me, I know. I've spent my whole adult life pushing people away, and I wasn't even really sure why. Everyone else thought it was the trauma of my mother's death, and maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. But when I was trapped in that car with a bullet hole in my shoulder, all I could think about was you and how much I wanted more time to be with you before I died. That's when I finally accepted that the real reason I kept getting into go-nowhere relationships was you. I know it sounds crazy, but on some level I don't understand, I've been waiting for you all these years. Finally finding you… getting to know you… _falling in love with you_… it feels right in a way I never could have imagined until you came into my life. So _yes_. I'm totally sure this is what I want. And for the record? I would choose you a thousand times over any so-called 'normal' guy. Because I've noticed something important about you Vincent; they may have altered your DNA – given you super senses and strength and all – but there's one thing they weren't able to change." She paused, and Vincent looked at her questioningly. Lifting her hand, she placed it on his chest. "They couldn't change your heart. And you have the most beautiful heart I've ever known."

When Vincent finally left her room some time later, he felt like he was floating on air. He had finally bared his soul to Catherine and she had chosen to stand by him, good or bad, until the end. He was done fighting her about it, done second-guessing her and their whole relationship. He finally realized that he needed to _trust _her; to believe that she knew what she was getting into and that she was making what she thought was the best decision not only for him, but for herself as well. He sent a silent "thank you" into the universe from a very grateful heart.

Too restless to wait for an elevator, he decided to take the stairs from the ICU level down into the lower lobby. He was so distracted thinking about Catherine and all the changes that were happening between them, he forgot he was still wearing scrubs and wasn't taking any precautions to hide himself from the whole world. He realized his mistake as he descended the stairs, just a heartbeat too late.

"Vincent?" His heart stopped at the sound of a very familiar voice. His stomach knotted a second later when it registered with him who it belonged to. Without looking around for the source of it, he ran down the stairs as fast as he could and slipped around the corner behind an oversized pillar. "Vincent Keller!" he heard her yell across the lobby. He could feel his heart racing, his breathing getting shallow… no, no, no! He had to get out of here before something bad happened. The sound of her footsteps heading in his direction spurred him to action. He took a deep breath before quickly disappearing down the hallway, away from the front entrance of the hospital. He didn't care where he was headed, as long as it was away from _her._ There were dozens of exits from the complex. He had to come across one eventually.

His mind was racing feverishly, trying to process what had just happened. How could he have been so careless? For 10 years everyone that was important in his life had believed him dead; they had grieved and moved on. Now all of that was in jeopardy. He could feel his anxiety level escalating and decided to block it from his mind until he reached safety where he could calm himself and consider the situation carefully. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but it was evident he was going to have to do _something_. Because he certainly couldn't have his former fiancée telling everyone he was still alive.


	8. Chapter 8 - How Noble in Reason

OK I get that many people might not be seeing this because of the M rating. It's too late to change that now, but I'll keep that under advisement for the future. Still, it would be great if more of the folks reading this could let me know what they think. Only about half the number who read the first chapter continued on with it. Just wondering what folks aren't liking.

BTW - If you like AU stories that are rated M, you must check this one out if you haven't already: s/8820984/1/Truth-or-Dare She's doing an awesome job with it.

**Chapter Eight – How Noble in Reason**

JT woke up disoriented in the pre-dawn hours, sensing something was wrong. He lay still for a moment, trying to discern what had woken him. _Vincent._ He hadn't heard him come home, but there was no escaping the relentless pacing going on overhead. He'd heard his friend walk the floor before, usually waiting for dark so he could go see Catherine. But this was different. It wasn't just impatience that JT heard in his steps. It was… _agitation._ He was pretty certain nothing had happened to Cat, or Vincent would have surely woken him.

With a sigh, he threw the covers back and crawled out of bed. He was tempted to grumble about being woken up, but the problem with having Vincent for a roommate was that he could even hear when you mumbled under your breath about him. So JT just bit his lip and climbed the stairs into the loft where Vincent kept residence. "Dude, what's got you so wound up?" he blurted out on a yawn. Vincent didn't even pause in his pacing. "Is it Cat? Did something happen to her?"

"Wha- oh uh, no," Vincent answered, still trudging back and forth across the floor. JT was starting to lose patience, so he crossed the room and parked himself right in Vincent's path, bringing him to a screeching halt. "Well if it isn't Catherine, what's all the pacing about? I've never seen you this agitated unless you were… you know…hulked out."

"JT, we have a problem. And I don't mean a minor inconvenience. I mean a full-blown-this-could-get-ugly kind of problem. Want a beer?"

JT dropped into a nearby chair. "No, I think you better give it to me sober. Sounds like I might need to be in control of my faculties for this one."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Vincent threaded his fingers through the hair on the back of his head. How the hell were they going to deal with this one? It was like their worst nightmare come true. "I saw Alex today."

"You _what_?! You mean, like… from a distance walking down the street while you were running on a rooftop kind of 'saw' her or…?" Vincent took a deep breath. "No, more like I was walking out of the hospital and she apparently works there now and saw me and screamed my name across the lobby as I ducked and ran. _That_ kind of 'saw'."

"Oh crap. You're right. This is a monumental problem. How the _hell_ did you let someone see you? You're always so careful…" Vincent looked a little sheepish and flustered. "Oh let me guess. Cat woke up and got you all a-twitter, am I right? And suddenly you took leave of your senses. Stop me any time if I'm drifting off base here…"

"Uh, no, that about covers it," Vincent confessed. He sat on the end of the bed and flopped backwards, staring at the ceiling. "What are we gonna do, JT? We can't just leave her out there knowing what she knows and ignore it. But nothing I come up with makes any sense. I mean to ignore it, knowing Alex she'll hire a private investigator or something to try and track me. If I tell her the truth, who knows what she'll do? I mean, besides slap me and tell me to go to hell, once she realizes she grieved for a guy who wasn't really dead."

"Uhh… point of contention. What's this 'we' business? Seems to me YOU got yourself into this mess. I don't see how I should have to be saving your sorry ass for plain, old-fashioned stupidity. Psycho monster stuff I signed on for, not high school drama. You're on your own with this one pal." JT got up to leave, stopping at the top of the stairs. "For what it's worth? You're right. You can't ignore it. But the less she knows the better. Tell her partial truth – it's too dangerous for her to be with you, blah blah that's why no one can know you're alive, or you _won't_ be. And neither will she if anyone finds out she knows."

"I don't know, JT. I mean, I was going to _marry_ this woman. I feel like I owe her more than some lame brush off. It was one thing to let her think I was dead, but now that she knows I'm not? How can I just leave that wound open and bleeding and walk away like I don't care?"

"Do you? Care, that is? Do you still have feelings for her, Vincent?"

"Of course I do. I was engaged to her. She didn't do anything to deserve what happened. I was the one that let my anger control me and ship me off to Afghanistan while she stayed at home waiting for me to get it out of my system so I could come back, settle down, get married, have a family…" Vincent threw his arm over his eyes. "I royally screwed up her life. And I was willing to let sleeping dogs lie, y'know? Ten years… she grieved, she got over me and moved on with her life,I would assume." Momentarily, he thought of Catherine and how not having closure kept her from moving on after her mother's death. Dammit. What if Alex had been holding on to her grief all these years? He never stopped to consider the possibility before.

JT was starting to get a bad feeling about the way the conversation was going. "So.. what? Are you going to go find her and say, 'Honey – I'm home! Oh sorry I had amnesia all these years until I saw your face. Let's hook up and get married'? And I mean dude – what about Catherine? Are you just going to cut her out of your life? Or do you have some crazy idea the two of them are gonna become BFFs?" JT looked thoughtful. "Of course, they're both pretty hot. It could open some interesting possibilities…"

"JT!" Vincent shot him a dirty look. "That's hardly what's going through my mind."

"Isn't it? Because _I wouldn't know any more_. You're completely in lala land lately. I used to think I knew you. We had an understanding of where the boundaries were. Or at least I thought we did. But I have _no_ clue what you're thinking these days. So why don't you tell me?"

"I don't really know myself," Vincent admitted with a sigh. "What I _do_ know is that I've moved on with my life. Besides the obvious, I'm not the same man Alex fell in love with 12 years ago. I doubt she's the same either. But I don't want to be the cause of any more pain for her. I owe it to her to try and spare her that. As for Catherine…you _know_ how I feel about her. She's…everything. What I feel – what I _felt_ – for Alex isn't even in the same league. But that doesn't make me a heartless bastard, you know? I still want to try and make things right with Alex so she can let this go."

"Well then, I guess you have your answer. Talk to her. Tell her lies or half-truths or something. Just make sure she never wants to breathe your name into the universe again. Oh and one more thing – leave _my_ name out of it. If she finds out I've been hiding you all these years after I watched her fall to pieces at your funeral? I'll be a dead man for sure."

Vincent smiled, remembering Alex's fiery temper that matched her red hair. "That you would," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'll be sure she doesn't know you have any idea I'm alive."


	9. Chapter 9 - O Conspiracy!

**Chapter 9 – O Conspiracy!**

"Hey, fairytale princess," Evan greeted Cat with a smile. "How are we feeling today?" He had deliberately waited to go in to visit her until after her father and Heather left. He wasn't sure he was ready to deal with any of the myriad questions Mr. Chandler surely would grill him about after getting an earful from his hysterical daughter. Heather could be charming, but she was wound tighter than an 8 day clock at times, this being one of them, which was understandable under the circumstances. She adored her big sister, and he couldn't fault her for that. So did he.

"Evan – hey," she answered a bit weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"Well isn't it obvious? I came to see you." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. He was a man of his word, and even though she had been unconscious when he said he wouldn't pressure her any more, he would honor that commitment to her.

"What's up with the fairytale princess thing? I wasn't out long enough to be Sleeping Beauty."

"No – but you _were_ saved by a beast." He gave her a long, meaningful stare.

"Wha-what are you talking about? You sound like _you're _the one with the concussion instead of me. Delirious much?"

"It's ok sweetheart, your secret's safe with me. I've met.. him, and JT, too. I'm going to do my best to try and help, alright?" Catherine's heart started beating wildly, feeling like it was lodged in her throat. _Evan_ knew about Vincent? She was beginning to understand how JT must have felt about her all these months. How did this happen? She didn't realize how long she sat silent processing this new development, or the terrified look she was wearing while doing so. Finally Evan said, "Cat? Did you hear me? I'm going to try and help. I promise I'm not going to blow the whistle on him _or_ you. After hearing what he's been through, I think that's enough torture for one lifetime. He doesn't belong in a jail cell for something he can't control."

"It probably wouldn't hold him anyway," she murmured, but he heard her.

"Really? So.. he's that strong?" Cat got a positively hunted look on her face and refused to look at him, let alone answer. Evan sighed. "You're going to have to start trusting me sometime, love. JT and Vincent already do."

Cat's eyes went wide. "Will you _please_ stop talking about him like that? Out in the open where anyone can hear?"

Evan chuckled. "Easy now. We're the only ones in the room."

"It doesn't matter." She dropped her voice to a near hysterical whisper. "Muirfield has eyes and ears _everywhere_, I swear."

Evan's look turned serious. "It's that bad? They weren't exaggerating any of it?" Cat shook her head, her eyes wild and frightened. She'd obviously seen what these people were capable of. Hadn't Vincent said they'd kidnapped her? How could he and Tess not have known? "Hey now," he soothed, stroking her hair. "I promise to be more careful."

"Who else knows?" she croaked. She couldn't believe how out of control this was getting.

"No one Cat. Just me. I promise it's going to be alright. We're going to try and find a solution to his... problem."

"Do you really think it's possible? That the experiment can be reversed?" Catherine almost didn't dare to hope. Why hadn't Vincent told her any of this?

"Well I don't know about a full reversal," he admitted. "But surely _something_ ought to be able to be done to stop or at least slow the progression of the mutation. Maybe alleviate some of the symptoms? I don't know. I'm just talking off the top of my head right now. I'll have to take a look at your mother's research notes and see what I can glean from them."

"So you know my mom was involved in this then." Cat laid back and closed her eyes. Every time she thought of the fact that her own mother had done this to the man she loved, it made her a little crazy. She wished her mother was here to try and undo the damage that she'd done, but that task was left to her eldest daughter now. _What a legacy to leave behind. Thanks Mom._

"Cat, you are not to blame for what happened to… your friend," he said, avoiding using Vincent's name in order to keep her calm. "Besides, playing the blame game now isn't going to accomplish anything. The situation is what it is and we need to move forward. Now… I have a plan." He gave her one of his self-confident smiles. "Your dad and Brooke will probably reschedule their honeymoon as soon as you are out of here, right?"

Catherine groaned. She'd still been kind of woozy from the drugs when her dad had showed up. It never even registered with her that he should have been in the Caribbean with Brooke instead of visiting her in the hospital. "I can't believe I ruined their wedding night. Great way to welcome Brooke into the family."

"Cat, seriously? They aren't a couple of teenagers. I'm sure they can handle it. Now, your job is to make sure they get out of here and go on that honeymoon as quickly as possible."

"Why? What difference does that make to you?" She must still be loopy from the drugs because this was going right over her head. It was frustrating _knowing _she was missing something obvious, and still not being able to figure out what. She put her hand up to her forehead, trying to stave off the beginnings of a headache.

"Because once they're gone, we're going to raid your mother's things. We obviously can't let them know about it."

"Well what about Heather? How are we going to explain going to Dad's when he and Brooke are out of town?"

Evan sighed. "That, I'm afraid, falls on my shoulders. I'll have to keep Heather distracted while you and your two compadres go and appropriate anything that might be useful for our research."

The corners or Catherine's mouth lifted in a half-smile. "Well that should be a piece of cake for you, Mr. 'I'm-so-distracted-by-his-hotness'." She giggled, remembering Heather's drunken confession. "But please… just promise you won't lead her on. She's been hurt enough lately. She deserves a little happiness."

"I'll try my best," he promised. He thrust his hands into his jacket pockets and his fingers curled around the object inside the right one. "Oh, by the way, I found this when they brought Heather's car back to impound." He pulled her cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I thought there might be… someone… you'd want to get in touch with."

She smiled at him appreciatively, and it didn't escape his notice the way her eyes sparkled and she visibly perked up at the mention of contact with Vincent. If he hadn't been sure of her feelings before, he was now. Catherine was definitely head over heels for this poor tortured soul. If Evan couldn't be the one to bring that smile to her face as the man of her dreams, he sure as hell was going to do everything he could to make sure he put it there by helping her be with the man who was. He chuckled and shook his head, wondering when the hell he developed this altruistic streak. "What?" she asked with a huge grin. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering what's gotten into me lately. I'm not used to being the good guy." They both laughed.

"Well I'm _liking_ this kinder, gentler side to you, Dr. Marks," she teased. "Maybe we'll get lucky and it will stick."

Evan tapped her nose with his index finger he warned, "Don't get your hopes up, kitty-Cat. It's not often a tiger changes stripes. Now how about I leave and let you call Vincent-"

They hadn't heard the door open and Evan nearly jumped out of his skin when a slender red-head in scrubs came around the curtain to check on Catherine. He stood there totally awestruck, like a teenager having his first crush. He couldn't believe the way his heart was racing. Unfortunately, their first meeting wasn't going to be the pleasant, flirtatious encounter he was hoping for.

"Excuse me – did I hear you just say 'Vincent'? Would you be talking about Vincent Keller?" Catherine and Evan had all they could do to keep their jaws from dropping. What the hell-? Evan recovered first.

"I'm sorry… I'm Dr. Evan Marks and you are…?" He held out his hand in an attempt at a cordial greeting.

The redhead's brow furrowed as if she were confused by the proffered hand for a moment before deciding to shake it. "Alex. Doctor Alex McCormick." She turned to look at Catherine. "Is that why Vincent was here? To see you?"

Catherine averted her gaze and said, "I'm sorry I don't know a Vincent Keller."

The good doctor was not to be deterred so easily. "Well he was coming from the ICU when I saw him and I just heard your friend say something about calling Vincent."

Evan took a step closer to Alex and interrupted her somewhat aggressive questioning. "Excuse me, but don't you think this kind of interrogation is ill-advised under the circumstances? She shouldn't be getting upset in her delicate condition, should she?"

Alex looked suitably chastised by the comment. "No of course not, you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Catherine reassured her. "Listen, I don't know who this Vincent Keller is that you're talking about. We were just talking about my friend Vincent Zalanski. I was supposed to go visit him and his family out in Colorado at the end of the week and I just need to call him to let him know I won't be able to make it is all."

"Oh…" Alex's face turned red enough to nearly match her hair. "I – I'm sorry. It's just… I saw this other Vincent earlier today and.. I don't know what's going on. I thought – we _all_ thought that he was dead. Forgive my rudeness but it's been a very upsetting day."

Cat and Evan exchanged a look. "Sure, no problem," Catherine finally responded.

"Well, now that I've made a suitably poor first impression, the reason I came in here was to tell you that we'll be moving you from ICU within the hour. You'll still have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for observation, between the GSW and the concussion, but overall, you've made considerable improvement. You're a good healer." She tried her best to give Catherine a friendly smile, but it fell somewhat flat. Catherine found herself feeling kind of sorry for the woman. Seeing someone you know come back from the dead isn't an everyday occurrence. She could only imagine the shock. She couldn't help wondering, though, who this woman was to Vincent…

"Thanks for the update," she heard Evan remark, gently hinting at a dismissal. It was apparent the doctor didn't have anything additional to discuss, and the silence was getting a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh.. yes. Right. Well, good luck with your recovery Ms. Chandler. "

"Thanks." After they watched the other woman leave the room, Evan pulled the curtain back so no one could sneak up on them again. He crossed to the door and shut it quietly, so he could talk for a moment with Catherine before he left.

"Seems someone was careless in here last night," he whispered with a smirk. Catherine shrugged as if to say, "Got no idea." What she didn't convey was that she sure planned to find out.


	10. Chapter 10 - The Better Part of Valour

**Thanks for the comments everyone. If you're enjoying the story, please feel free to recommend it/tweet it up with all your Beastly friends! :) You can add me on Twitter at BrennaOReillyNY. Now... on with the show- er, story! ;-)**

**Chapter 10 - The Better Part of Valour**

As soon as Evan left her room, Cat selected "new text" on her phone and started to type. Suddenly, she was flooded with an overwhelming sense of anxiety; her heart began to race, her breathing became ragged, her vision blurred... She'd never had a panic attack in her life. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths, trying to get it under control. Her eyes suddenly flew open. _Vincent_! Something was wrong, she just knew. She started texting furiously and hit "send", before collapsing back onto her pillow and willing herself to calm down. He'd been taking care of himself for a long time and done just fine without her. Why then did she feel this irrational need to protect him?

* * *

Vincent lurked in the shadows of the staff parking area in the Mt. Sinai parking garage. He had only been guessing what time Alex would get off from her shift, based on when he had seen her earlier in the ICU. Of course, she'd pulled a double, so he'd been hanging around for hours waiting for her. The elevator came to a stop at his level, and he watched as a handful of nurses filed out of it. He almost turned away when he saw her. His stomach tightened and his heart started hammering in his chest until he thought he couldn't breathe. Once upon a time she had this effect on him, but for a much different reason. Instead of attraction, his reaction now was due to fear. As he watched her wind her way through the garage and eventually leave the nurses behind as they got in their cars, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly and checked the display. _Catherine._ Stuffing the cell back into his jacket pocket, he quickly maneuvered himself in the shadows until he came up behind Alex as she was trying to get into her car.

Sensing a sudden presence behind her, Alex shrieked and spun around, just as Vincent reached up to cover her mouth. "Shh Alex it's just me." Her eyes were like saucers above his hand, and she suddenly went very still. Vincent could barely detect her breathing. "Breathe, Alex, before you pass out." He removed his hand from her face, allowing her to take a gasping breath through her mouth.

"Vincent?! What the hell is going on?! We all thought you were dead!"

Vincent looked around nervously. "Please keep your voice down," his tone implying more a command than the polite request suggested by his words. "I'll try to explain but we can't just stand here in the open talking. Get in the car." Alex gave him a puzzled look, and when she hesitated he inclined his head toward the driver door, urging her to unlock it and get in. Once she complied, he moved around to the other side and got in the passenger seat. For a moment he sat there, heart racing, trying to think how to even start the conversation. After all he and Alex had been to each other, he assumed when he saw her that the words would come. He'd been gravely mistaken. He just stared out the windshield at the concrete barrier between the rows of cars, trying desperately to breathe normally and come up with _something_ to say.

Alex was her usual, impatient self. "Vincent, talk to me. You came here to tell me what's going on and now you're just sitting there like a statue. I have so many questions, and you _need_ to answer them!"

Vincent closed his eyes. "I know, Alex. It's just all so complicated I don't know where to start, or even how much I can safely tell you."

The hair on the back of her neck prickled. _Safely_? That sounded ominous. "Vincent, what happened? Why were we all told you were dead? And now you just show up here at the hospital clearly trying to get your old life back-"

"No! Not at all. What you saw… that was a mistake. I am not trying to get back into medicine. That is a chapter of my life I can never go back to, no matter how much I might want to." He took a deep breath. "Listen, I'm going to tell you what I can, and what I can't – you're just going to have to understand. You _cannot_ push me for answers I can't give, and when this conversation is over with, we can never see each other again. _EVER._ Are we clear on this?"

"But _why?_ Vincent, if you wanted out of our relationship you should have had the decency to at least tell me instead of letting me grieve for you all these years!"

Vincent sighed. "It wasn't a matter of wanting out so much as things having to be this way. I'm really sorry that you've held on to the past for all these years. It never occurred to me until today that you might not have moved on. I really hoped and though you would have by now."

Tears welled in her eyes. "Move on? You think as much as I loved you I could just _move on_?! Are you serious?"

Vincent reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand. "I really had hoped you would. Let me go, find someone else, have that family we always talked about…"

"But don't you see? I wanted those things with _you._ I wasn't interested in anyone else."

Vincent dropped his hand, starting to feel frustrated because this wasn't going in the direction it needed to. Not that he had those kinds of feelings for her any more, but she clearly was nursing the futile notion that he did. He needed to make her understand that she had to let go of it. "Look, Alex, I didn't come here to relive the past with you. I came to make sure you realize that by even knowing I'm alive, you are putting yourself in danger. When I get out of this car, I am dead to you again, do you understand? I'm not exaggerating when I say your life depends on it."

"Vincent what happened in Afghanistan? Why do we all need to think you're dead?" she pressed.

"Alex, I can't tell you that. In fact, I really can't tell you much at all. Maybe this was a colossal mistake coming here, but I had to get you to promise you will _never_ speak my name again. _Ever_. Under any circumstances. You need to wipe me from your heart, your mind, your past – like I never existed. You need to move on. Because this? _Us_? It's never going to happen. I'm not the same man you fell in love with, and I never will be again. And I'm being hunted. There's a price on my head." When he saw the look of fear in her eyes he hedged, "It's not because of anything I've done, it's because of what I _know. _I know things that can never be made public, and until I'm dead, I'm a threat to those who would be hurt by this information. That's why I faked my death; to protect those I love. Too many people around me have already died because of this. I don't want to see your name added to that list. So can you please promise me that you will let this go?"

Tears streamed down Alex's face as she looked at him longingly. "You were the love of my life, Vincent. I may be able to not speak about you again, but I will _never_ be able to 'move on' and get you out of my heart. That's the best I can promise you."

Vincent nodded. He knew that her emotions were too raw for him to argue the point with her. Maybe in time, someone would come along and sweep her off her feet and she could get her life back on track. He could only hope. "Alright, I can't tell you what to feel, although I do hope someday you'll find someone to make you happy. You deserve that and so much more. I'm so sorry I let you down and for all the hurt you've gone through, and if I could take it away from you, I would. But we can't always have what we want in life. This is just one of those times." He put his hand on the door handle, but paused before pulling it to exit the car. "For what it's worth, if there had been any other way for me to deal with this so I didn't have to hurt you, I never would have put you through this. I just want you to know that." Alex bit her lip to hold back her tears and nodded. Without another word, Vincent climbed from the car and turned to go. His super hearing couldn't miss the sob that escaped her, and when he looked back over his shoulder, he saw her slumped over the steering wheel, weeping. He felt like such a heel, but there was nothing else he could do. And truthfully, there was nothing else he _wanted_ to do. Alex had been his past. But Catherine? _She_ was his future. And his future suddenly wasn't looking so bad. He smiled to himself, as he disappeared into the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11 - This Bud of Love

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Glad someone is enjoying reading it. :) Here's your reward, lol.

**Chapter 11 – This Bud of Love**

Catherine suddenly felt the panic lift from her, to be replaced by an inexplicable sense of peace and joy. She wasn't sure how, but she just knew that it had to do with Vincent. Whatever the crisis had been, it was now over with. She relaxed into her pillow, letting the tension from the last half hour drain from her body. She reached for her phone and picked it up, just before it started to buzz. "Hey," she answered dreamily. "Everything okay now?"

There was a momentary silence. "Catherine, what did you mean when you asked me, 'what's wrong?' in your text?"

"I.. I can't explain it," she told him. "I just suddenly had this massive panic attack and I knew that it had something to do with you, but I didn't know why. What happened?"

Vincent was dumbfounded. How did she know he was upset? "I uh.. well, I saw someone I used to know is all. Or rather.. she saw me. It was rather difficult having to face her and convince her that she needs to leave me dead."

"Dr. Alex?" she asked. Vincent couldn't miss the lack of emotion in her voice. Catherine knew about Alex? Could this get any more complicated? Just when he thought he'd laid the past to rest…

"Uh.. yeah, her name is Alex. How do you know that? Catherine, what is going on with you? Can you read minds now suddenly?"

"No. She just came in my room earlier and started grilling me about you is all. She overheard Evan mention your name and she got a little unhinged, wanting to know why you were here and all."

Vincent grew very still. Almost on a whisper he asked, "What did you say?"

Catherine looked to the door to make sure it was shut before answering in a harsh whisper. "What could I say? I told her she misunderstood, that we were talking about my friend Vincent _Zalanski_ that lives in Denver, and that I had to call him to tell him I wasn't coming out for a visit. You know… basically I lied to her, like I lie to everyone else." Ouch. She was clearly upset. He wondered if she was piecing it together what his relationship with Alex had been. She didn't leave him deliberating long. "So who is she, Vincent? Girlfriend? Lover? _Wife?_" She doubted the latter, but different last names didn't necessarily preclude such a relationship. She felt her defensive walls starting to rebuild themselves. She wondered if it had been premature to be so vulnerable with Vincent after all.

"Catherine, don't-"

"Don't what? Don't ask you to explain? Don't ask you who she is to you? After you and JT got upset with me for keeping something I thought was a _lie_ from you, you think I don't have a right to be a little hurt to find out you've been keeping… _this_ from me? After I poured my heart out to you this morning? I feel like a fool."

Vincent's heart constricted in his chest, and somewhere deep within his beast wanted to howl with frustration. He could hear the quiver in her voice as she clearly struggled to keep from crying. "Catherine, listen to me. I'm not keeping things from you. Until this morning, I had been dead to Alex for 10 years now. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I'd ever see her again. And the only reason I _did_ was because of _you._ If I hadn't been so worried about you I wouldn't have gone near the hospital, and she never would have seen me. It's not like I went looking for her!" There was silence on the other end of the line. "Catherine? Are you still there?" Even with his super senses he barely heard her answer, "Yeah."

He was so humbled, and a little ashamed for his outburst. Gone was the rough and tough Detective Chandler that kept everyone at bay while keeping herself emotionally detached. This is what Evan had meant about her being vulnerable. He had never seen this side to her, and it shook him to the core. He felt like he was finally seeing the real Catherine for the very first time. No longer was she defiantly pushing him away to cover being hurt by him; instead, she was an open book. He found himself feeling even more determined to protect her than ever, longing to be with her so he could wrap her up in his arms and just hold her through this little storm they were weathering. Truthfully, he was also a little wary, realizing for the first time that he had the power to hurt her more deeply than anyone else in her world. And the emotional danger he posed to her was far worse than the physical. "Hey," he said gently. "I wish I was there with you right now, just holding you." He had an idea, and he wanted to test it. He closed his eyes and focused all the love he felt for her, attempting to send it her way. "Sending you a big hug right now… can you feel it?" He was gratified to hear a small gasp from the other end of the connection. He smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Vincent, how-?" she whispered.

"Shh we can talk about that another time. Right now you need to understand that what Alex and I had was over a long time ago. I didn't tell you because quite frankly, I haven't thought about her in years."

Catherine was still struggling with what was going on, but the warmth and feelings of safety and love she felt herself cocooned in soothed her somewhat. Her voice was calmer when she continued. "Vincent, you said you were dead to her.. but was she dead to you? Really? Or did you just convince yourself to forget her?"

He could see why she was such a good cop. She knew how to examine a situation from every angle. It was one of the things he loved about her, yet he knew it could also cause them problems if she could never learn to turn it off and trust him. He was hopeful that would come in time. Once he was able to show her how very much he loved her. He couldn't wait for her to get out of that damned hospital bed.

"Catherine, when I first came back from Afghanistan and went into hiding, I had lost everything. In some ways, being dead would have been much easier for me. People mourned me and moved on because I wasn't there anymore. But for me, I knew they were all still there, just a phone call or visit away. It was torture for me wanting to reach out to the people I loved for comfort and support. Would it be so surprising that I would miss the woman I had planned to spend my life with?" She didn't answer, but he could hear her breathing, hear her heart beating steadily, so he went on.

"I knew, though, that I could never do that, y'know, because it would put her life in jeopardy. So I had to learn to let it go. Let _her_ go. I'm not going to say it was easy, but here's the part you need to pay close attention to: when I saw you that first night in the woods, the night your mom died? Everything changed for me. I can't really explain it, but from that night on, my memories of Alex and my feelings for her began to change; become less painful. I could remember the times we had shared without longing to be with her any more. I know this probably doesn't make much sense to you – sometimes it confuses the hell out of _me_ to be honest." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Vincent, I wish you were here."

He felt the tension dissipate. "I know, I do too. But it just isn't safe. I was totally careless last night and I can't take a chance of being seen again. Too much is at stake for both of us." He paused. "And the last thing that I want to have happen is for me to be forced to disappear and leave _you _behind. Because I would really rather die than to be separated from you. Can you understand that?"

Silent tears streamed down her face. "Better than you think," was the hushed reply.

Vincent smiled to himself. They were going to be okay. "Just remember this: my past is just that. My _past_. The same as you have had other relationships. But what's important is that the only thing I want for my future is _you._ Nothing else matters to me, any more. _Nothing_."

"Same here," she said softly.

"So I'm home now, and I'm getting into bed," he told her, his voice getting husky. "Close your eyes, and imagine me curling up next to you and holding you while you sleep. Because that's what I'm going to visualize while I'm drifting off. It makes me feel like you're almost here."

Catherine closed her eyes and darned if she didn't feel warmth seeping into her from… somewhere. Her skin tingled, almost as if he was touching her cheek. She never realized she had such a vivid imagination. Who knew wanting someone so much could have this effect? "Promise me something?" she mumbled sleepily into the phone.

"Mmm..what's that?" His low rumbling voice in her ear skittered over her nerves in the most delicious way.

"Promise me when I get out of here we can do this for real."

Vincent paused, weighing the consequences of such a risky endeavor. "Shh sleep," he finally answered. "We can talk about it tomorrow." He hoped she would accept that, buying him some time to sort things out. The only response he got was her soft humming as she drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 - Foul Deeds Rise

I hope this isn't a mess editorially speaking. I'm rushing to put it up because with all the spoilers coming out and people speculating on what's going to happen, I need to make sure that my stuff is up so people know I'm not relying on Twitter for my ideas! I was just finishing the next 2 chapters and someone blew my plotline, lol. Dang. If you find problems, message me and let me know. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 12 – Foul Deeds Rise**

"Hey, it's Harris. Let me talk to Silverfox." He couldn't believe he was hiding in a broom closet to make a call regarding a national security risk.

"Uh.. I'm afraid that won't be possible. He's fallen off the radar. We're not exactly sure where he is at present."

"Seriously? You can't track him with GPS?" Harris was more than a little annoyed. He needed to reach his senior agent _now._

"_Seriously_?" the 20-something techno-geek "receptionist" mimicked. "You think we didn't try that already? What part of 'fallen off the radar' eludes you?"

Harris clenched his fist. He'd never hit a woman in his life, but he was tempted to make an exception for this one. Through clenched teeth he asked, "Then who's handling the Keller case?"

"Well now, see, that's the first intelligent question you've asked me. And the answer, as it happens, is Ghostwalker. He took over the case once we lost contact with Silverfox. Who, if you happen to run across him, you are not to engage. Let GW know immediately. Silverfox may be compromised."

Harris rolled his eyes at the girl's abbreviation of Ghostwalker's code name. "I think I could have figured that one out on my own, thanks," he sniped back.

"Just makin' sure. Now, did you want me to transfer you to GW?"

"Please." _Please, God, anything to get me off the line with this irritating woman…_ Harris was at the end of his patience. In short order he was connected to the senior agent and reported his findings. He really hoped they could get this Keller guy in custody soon so he could get back to regular surveillance work. This crap about having to work undercover as a janitor at Mt. Sinai hospital was starting to wear thin. But it had finally paid off this morning. He hadn't seen Vincent Keller with his own two eyes, but his ex was convinced _she_ had. On a hunch, he had slipped into the parking garage and managed to catch the foxy red-head with a guy who matched Keller's description. He couldn't see his face clearly for the hat he had pulled down over his eyes and the coat collar turned up shielding more of his features. But Harris was dead certain that's who was waiting for the good doctor when she got off work.

* * *

Catherine woke with a start before sunrise, her heart racing and feeling panicked, remnants of a nightmare. No… not a nightmare… something… different. Her hand flew to her head to keep it from exploding from the pounding pain assaulting her. _Think Cat_ she commanded herself. Taking a few deep breaths she tried to relax. _Danger_! Something wasn't… right. But what? Damn it, why was this happening to her? Why did she know things she shouldn't know, and if she was going to know them it would be a lot more helpful if what she _knew_ wasn't so damned vague! It was a toss-up whether she was more freaked out or frustrated at the moment. _Definitely frustrated,_ she decided. There would be time to freak out later once the crisis was past. Grabbing her cell phone that was still open from when she fell asleep talking to Vincent, she speed dialed Tess.

Tess moaned in her sleep as her cell went off on the nightstand next to her. It couldn't be time to get up already… Without opening her eyes her hand groped wildly until her fingers latched onto the offending device. She flipped the phone open and pulled it to her ear. "Vargas," she mumbled into it. She could hear panicked breathing on the other end and someone said her name in a voice that seemed vaguely familiar yet.. not? Pulling the phone from her ear and barely lifting one eyelid, she looked at the caller ID. Shit! Cat! Suddenly she was wide awake and alert, sitting up and pushing the hair from her face while looking to the clock. 5:27. "Cat, what the hell!? Do you know what time it is? What's wrong?"

"Help me… please…" Cat pleaded through the pain spearing into her head. "Something's… wrong…."

"Cat, push the call button for your nurse honey," Tess instructed, trying to regain her composure. Something must really be wrong if Cat was calling _her_ for a medical consult.

"Not… that kind… of wrong," Catherine ground out. "Evil…bad…danger…"

"Jesus, Cat, you're scaring me! What's going on?"

"Please come… danger… bring help."

Help? "You mean backup, Cat? I need backup?"

"Y-yes!"

"Okay you sit tight. I'll call Joe and I'll be there in 10. I don't care if I have to sprout wings to do it, you hear me?"

"Thanks-" Catherine's voice faded off and the call ended abruptly. Tess was already half finished dressing. She punched Joe's speed-dial while she slammed her feet into her boots.

"Damn it Vargas, it couldn't wait another hour?" Joe groused into the phone.

"No! Cat just called and she's flipping out about being in danger and needs us! Hospital – _NOW_!" She ended the call as she grabbed her keys, badge, and gun and ran out the door. Joe would probably be pissed at the way she barked the order at him, but under the circumstances she didn't give a rip.

* * *

Alex grabbed her purse and the large coffee from the console, glancing at the dashboard clock before killing the car's engine: 5:36. Ugh, it was going to be one long day. It was bad enough she was going to work a 12 hour shift, but then she had gotten called to help in ER before her scheduled hours started. Apparently there had been some freakish early-morning multi-car pileup on the Henry Hudson Parkway, and they were swamped with serious injuries. It wasn't often the ER drew from other departments for backup; in fact, this was the first time Alex had ever been called. Even though she didn't mind helping out in a pinch, she was glad it wasn't a regular occurrence.

She locked her car, and her thoughts fixed on Vincent. Less than twelve hours earlier they sat in her car in almost this same spot. She still couldn't believe he was alive, after all this time. Part of her wanted to be angry with him, but she just couldn't. It was just something about the desperate way he had begged her to leave him dead. She knew as certain as she knew her own name that he wasn't making any of it up. She just wished he could tell her what had happened to him; why he had to pretend to be dead.

As she was walking to the garage elevator, a shudder shook her slender frame. She had been so lost in thought, that she hadn't noticed how cold it was this morning. She pulled her coat more tightly around her, but when the hair on her neck started to stand up she knew that it wasn't the frigid air that had caused her body to shake her from her deep thoughts. Something felt… off. She looked around to see if anyone else was in the vicinity, but the garage was quiet. _Too_ quiet. Just as her head turned to face in the direction she was walking again, a hand came around her and covered her mouth. She stiffened, but wondered if it was Vincent. Had he come back? At the jab of a gun poking her ribs, she lost hope that it was the desired lovers' reunion.

Alex began to squirm and fight against the man holding her, but he was much too strong for her to make any headway at getting free. The hand holding his gun snaked around her waist and squeezed her so tight against his body she couldn't breathe. "Settle down, sweetheart," he commanded with a growl. "This will go so much better for you if you do. I don't want to have to hurt you, but if you force me to, I will." She decided to change tactics, especially since she was getting light-headed from lack of oxygen. She relaxed, going totally limp in her attacker's embrace, making him bear the full weight of her body. Unfortunately for her, that didn't seem to deter him in the slightest. She felt herself being dragged along as she slowly drifted toward unconsciousness. Air began flooding her lungs again as she felt his hold on her shift so he could lift her off her feet and… Her eyes fluttered trying to focus. Where did he put her down? She screamed as she watched the trunk cover come down over her and plunge her into total darkness.


	13. Chapter 13 - What Dreams May Come

**Chapter 13 – What Dreams May Come**

Tess burst into Catherine's hospital room, gun at the ready. She had no idea what she would encounter. She _didn't, _however, expect it to be the sight before her. Cat was thrashing in her bed, moaning, looking for all the world like she was caught up in a horrific nightmare. "Cat! Cat wake up!" Tess urged as she shook her partner, being careful of her injured shoulder. Catherine jolted awake, looking like a deer in the headlights. Her terror was palpable. "Cat, what is it? What's wrong? Why did you call us down here?"

Catherine pushed herself up in the bed, breathing hard. "Dr. Alex. Someone's taken her. I.. I don't know who.. some guy with a gun... stuffed her in his trunk in the parking garage.." Her voice trailed off as another pain speared into her head.

"Wait – Cat, how do you know this?" Tess was feeling more than a little confused. But her body was still tensed, ready for what, she didn't know. All she was certain of was that her partner had never steered her wrong yet.

Catherine wasn't about to launch into a full-blown discussion of something she didn't even understand herself. All she could hope for is that Tess would trust her. "I can't explain it right now, Tess. Is anyone outside covering the grounds? We can't let them get away with her!"

Tess radioed Joe and told him if anyone was in the vicinity of the garage to stop and search the trunk of any vehicles leaving the hospital complex. That accomplished, she sat down on the edge of Catherine's bed. "Talk to me, Cat. Something is going on with you and it's clearly got you shaken to the edge of hysteria. " She held her gaze steady until Catherine had to look away.

"I meant it when I said I couldn't explain it," she said weakly. She closed her eyes and lay back into the pillows, trying to relax. "Ever since I woke up from the surgery I've been… different. It's like, I know things. Things I don't really _want_ to know. I can feel how other people are feeling sometimes. Or see things I shouldn't be able to see – like now."

"So… what? You're _psychic_ now? Girl, I think you hit your head a little harder than we thought. I just hope Joe doesn't demand his pound of flesh from _both_ of us, after the way I woke him up this morning to drag him out on a wild goose chase." Tess got up and walked over to look out the window, just in time to see Wolanski running after a car that was racing away from the hospital. "What the hell-?"

Wolanski's voice came over the radio. "Got a black sedan speeding away from the garage. Heading North on Madison. DC Plates Mike-Uniform-India-Romeo eleven. Repeat, M-U-I-R dash 1-1. Available units in vicinity of Mt. Sinai pursue." Tess looked back over her shoulder toward the bed, her brows knit together in disbelief. Could Cat really have had some sort of… vision? She heard the squad car sirens as they pursued the vehicle in question, but her attention was riveted to her partner. Cat had lifted her stare from the radio that lay at the foot of her bed and met Tess' gaze. Tess suddenly felt a frisson of fear creep through her at how pale and terrified Catherine looked – right before she leaned over the edge of the bed and emptied her stomach onto the floor.

* * *

Vincent tossed violently in his sleep, caught in the grip of a PTSD-worthy nightmare. Only he wasn't dreaming about being trapped in Afghanistan. In fact, it wasn't him in trouble at all. It was…a woman. Why couldn't he see her face? A man. A gun. A car trunk. He could feel the stress pressing on him, screaming at him to change…

Bolting upright and instantly awake, Vincent dragged great gasping gulps of air into his lungs – and stopped abruptly. The sound of his own breathing was… wrong somehow. Oh, no…_no_! Not now! He looked at his hands, horrified to see his claws starting to show. He tried to calm himself, remember it was just a dream – but was it? Why, then, did he feel this overwhelming terror crushing his chest and restricting his breathing?

He jumped up and started staggering around the room, trying to clear his head so he could reason what he needed to do. But something primal was eating at him, trying to get him to _react_ instead of respond to the strange and terrifying emotions he was experiencing. Emotions that weren't his own… were they? It was like he felt them but they made no sense to him. Was that the beast in him obscuring his reason or was it real? He slammed his hand against his forehead, trying to jar thoughts loose. He stumbled a few more steps then tripped on a chair, which he threw across the room.

JT woke with a start and lay completely still in the darkness, his senses on full alert. Something was wrong… again. The sounds of Vincent raging upstairs and the heaviness of his footfalls drove JT to reach for the tranquilizer gun next to his bed. He kept it there religiously now, in case he ever needed it in an emergency. Apparently he had been wise to. He climbed out of his bed and walked as quietly as he could to the stairs leading to Vincent's loft. He winced at the sound of furniture being thrown and knew that they were in trouble. Were the blackouts making a reappearance? And why, in the middle of the night, when he knew Vincent had actually been sleeping for once?

His heart slammed against his chest, and he knew Vincent could hear it. The element of surprise was _not_ going to be on his side, so it was wasted effort to try for it. He yanked open the gate at the bottom of the stairs and cautiously ascended them, alert for signs of Vincent's beast. Squinting into the semi-darkness, he saw Vincent silhouetted against the moonlit windows. Keeping the dart gun at the ready, he spoke up. "Dude… everything ok up here?"

Vincent spun toward the stairs, and JT could see his eyes glowing amber in the darkness. "JT – what's happening to me?" he asked in his half-transformed husky beast voice. "Something's wrong… I think it's Catherine… I need to go!"

"Uh… _no_? Not such a good idea, big guy. Every time you beast out around her, people die. You better stay put."

"NO!" Vincent roared, his beast yanking at its chains, demanding release. "She needs me!" He started to charge the stairs and JT took aim and hit him in the leg. As he fell he moaned, "JT she needs help. Please go to her…" And then he was out like a light.

Now JT had a real problem. How was he going to keep Vincent under control _and_ take care of Catherine? It suddenly hit him – how would Vincent know Catherine was in trouble, anyway? Things kept getting weirder and weirder by the day with those two.

Inspiration struck and he ran to grab his wallet and cell phone. _He_ couldn't go check on Catherine, but he knew someone who could.

* * *

"SONOFABITCH!" Harris slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He was stressing to the max as he sped through the streets of Manhattan's Upper East Side, with NYPD in hot pursuit. How the hell had this happened? He'd planned everything so carefully, and told no one of his plans. So there was no one to "leak" the information. He was sure the hot doctor wasn't on to him; she'd been too surprised when he nabbed her. So she couldn't have alerted anyone. How, then, did the cops show up just in time to ruin everything?

He rounded a corner just as a cop car spun sideways to block his path. He jerked the wheel hard trying to avoid colliding with it, opting at the last moment to run up onto the sidewalk before crashing into the side of a building.

The two officers that had trapped the sedan climbed from their cars and approached the wreck, guns drawn. They weren't sure what this guy was wanted for, but apparently it was more than a parking ticket given the way he had attempted to evade them. Officer Venuto yanked open the car door to reveal the driver slumped over the steering wheel, moaning. "Call it in," he told Murphy, as he holstered his gun. "We're gonna need an ambulance." The other officer went back to his squad car, and Venuto turned on his flashlight to examine the sedan's interior. Without warning, he felt someone clock him hard on the back of the head just before everything went black.


	14. Chapter 14 - Folly and Ignorance

**Chapter 14 – Folly and Ignorance**

JT whipped out the business card that Evan had given him. He almost groaned when he realized it was the number for the morgue. He didn't know what he'd expected – that Evan would have given him a personal cell number? Still, this was risky at best, trying to reach him at work for a Vincent-related emergency. He'd have to discuss contact info with the good doctor once _this_ crisis was over. He punched in the numbers and heard the line at the other end begin to ring.

"Marks," was the greeting as the phone was answered.

"Geez, do you ever sleep?" JT asked. He rolled his eyes mentally; he always said the dumbest things when he was nervous.

"Occasionally," Evan replied, stretching the word out and squinting thoughtfully as he wondered who was on the other end of the connection. "Who is this?"

"Hey, sorry man. It's JT. Look," he rushed on, "we have a bit of a… situation brewing. Thought maybe you could help, since it involves Cat."

Evan stood up straighter, a new alertness in his bearing. "Listening…"

JT relayed what had happened with Vincent in as vague a way as possible. "Anyway, I can't just leave him here alone. Who knows how he'll be when he wakes up? Could you go check on Cat? He was convinced she's in some kind of danger."

Evan was already in his coat with keys in hand when JT asked. "I'm on it," was all he said before slamming the phone down on the wall receiver and bolting out the door.

* * *

Harris swung out of the driver's seat and hit the pavement running, following the dark figure that had helped him escape. He heard the other officer shouting for him to stop, accompanied by a gunshot, just as they rounded the corner. They continued running in silence for another block and into an alley where a car was waiting for them. Jumping in, the car lurched forward before they could even shut their doors.

"Dammit, Harris, that was _too close_! What in hell were you thinking?"

"Look," Harris retorted, "not that I don't appreciate you saving my ass back there, but how the hell did you know where to find me?" For the first time he looked at the eyes in the rearview mirror and actually groaned out load. "Kelly. I should have known. You stalking me now?"

Regan Kelly gave a throaty chuckle. Harris was such an uptight kind of guy, she just loved getting under his skin. "In your dreams, Harris. GW got one of his infamous hunches and had me track you. Looks like he was right again." She paused. "Oh – and for the record… if I was going to stalk you, you'd never know about it." She smiled wickedly, hoping to unnerve him a little. She wasn't sure why she took such perverse pleasure in tormenting him, except maybe because he made her feel things she didn't want to feel. Annoying the hell out of him was a way of keeping him at a safe distance. She was perfectly happy with her career and her computers, thank you very much. She didn't need a man screwing up her life. Literally.

Harris glared at Reynolds, who was riding shotgun. "Was it really necessary to bring _her_ along?" he groused.

Reynolds rolled his eyes as he looked out the window. It wouldn't do for Harris to see the smirk he was wearing at the moment. "Hey, she's the techno-nerd. What do you think I know about all this tracking stuff? Nothing. I'm a hired gun, nothing more, nothing less. Besides, _someone_ had to drive the getaway car." He chuckled. "I swear, someday Harris you're going to get us both killed. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I saw an opportunity to bait Keller, and I took it. I still don't know what the hell happened. If no one else knew about it, how did the cops get on to me?"

"Bait him?" Reynolds turned in his seat to look at the other man. Regan looked at him in the rearview mirror, and he saw genuine concern in her beautiful moss-colored eyes… He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to be noticing Regan Kelly's eyes. The woman was the very bane of his existence.

"I've been on surveillance detail with the ex-fiancée. Tall, sexy red-head with legs that go on forever," he related in a dreamy voice. He was rewarded with daggers coming from the eyes in the rearview mirror. He silently congratulated himself for the victory. "At any rate, she apparently saw Keller early this morning, screaming his name across the lobby. I didn't see him, but figured I could flush him out if I nabbed the ex, so… I did."

"How'd _that_ work out for you?" Regan sniped. "Oh, right. We had to come save your sorry ass for your stupidity. Like I don't have better things to be doing right now." Wow, he must have really touched a nerve with her. Usually her banter was more sarcastic than mean. Was it possible her caustic attitude was a cover for her real feelings? He wondered…

Still, it wouldn't do to back down and let her think he cared that he might have hurt her. "Like what? Reading the latest issue of 'Hacker's Weekly'? Writing new virus codes to release on the unsuspecting public? I'd say I'm doing society a service keeping you occupied."

Regan snorted and mumbled under her breath, "As if you could." Harris struggled to keep from laughing out loud. Good, they were back on normal footing with that remark.

"If you two are quite through with your little _lover's spat_…" Reynolds started, and – wait for it – yes, there was the satisfying gasp from them both. He smiled to himself again and finished, "Just where do you have the ex stashed, Harris?"

"Uh, well, she was kind of in the trunk of the car…"

"Another perfectly executed disaster. Good job. Ghostwalker will be impressed." Harris could see the corners of Regan's eyes crinkle in the mirror at the other agent's assessment. Damn her, she was laughing at him! He didn't know why he even cared, but he did. There, he finally admitted that much to himself. But that was as far as it would EVER go. "So basically, we can forget about using her as bait in the future. I can't believe she'll be left unguarded from here on out. We're going to have to find another way to flush Keller out. It's just a shame that 10 years of surveillance on the ex has been a wasted effort."

"That's not necessarily true," Harris objected. "Hell, Silverfox nabbed that cop Chandler right off a main street without incident. We can still get the hottie in the future."

"Perhaps," Reynolds agreed, letting his attention shift to watching the streets go by in a blur as he looked out the car door window.

* * *

Evan Marks burst into Catherine's hospital room. "Cat I came as soon as I-" He stopped abruptly when his gaze slammed into Tess' questioning eyes. "Oh uh, hi Tess. Didn't know you were here."

Tess crossed her arms and leaned her perfect backside against the window ledge. "Do go on, Evan," she coaxed. "Don't let me interfere with what you were going to say."

"I uh.. well that is.." He shot Cat a desperate look.

Catherine rushed in to save the day. "It's nothing, Tess. I just asked Evan to do a little checking on something for me. Nothing important that you need to worry about. It's not even directly work-related. So don't worry it's going to end badly with you on desk duty for a month or anything." She smiled weakly, still worn out from her earlier episode.

"If you two are conspiring together, it's _always_ cause for worry. I used to have hopes for the two of you as a couple but instead of fireworks, you definitely have more of a TNT vibe going on here. It's scary." Tess jumped when Joe's voice came over the radio.

"Vargas, I need you down here immediately. The perp got away but one of Sinai's doctors was the intended victim. She's been recovered, but we need to set up a protection detail until we know more. Since you're temporarily without a partner, you're pulling the short straw on this one, for the time being."

Tess glared at Cat and Evan as she responded, "Be right there." She clipped the radio to her belt. "Don't think for a moment this is over, do you hear me? I know the two of you are up to your necks in something and I intend to find out what it is."


	15. Chapter 15 - A Madness Most Discreet

**Oh THERE you all are! Ok, well since you're still hanging on, here's the next Chapter. Still no Vincent, sorry. His day is coming... soon...**

**Chapter 15 – A Madness Most Discreet**

Cat and Evan watched Tess storm out of the room. They waited for a minute before even attempting to converse. As if on cue, they both started to talk at once.

"Evan what are you-" "Cat is everything ok-"

"Checking up on you-" "Yes why do you ask?"

They both laughed. "Ok," Evan conceded. "Ladies first."

"Why are you checking up on me, Evan? And what makes you think something is wrong?" She knew that Tess hadn't called Evan in on this, so what had he meant by "As soon as I-"? She presumed "heard" was the final word he hadn't spoken before seeing Tess.

Evan came and perched on the edge of her bed. "JT called me, frantic. He asked me to come and check on you. It seems your 'friend' had some sort of… _episode_ this morning. Around 5:30 or so, give or take. Anyway, apparently he woke up half-" Evan looked to the door warily, then leaned close to Cat and whispered, "transformed. And he was out of his mind saying you were in danger and he needed to get to you. JT wasn't about to let him go out like that so he shot him with a tranq gun. 'V' made him promise to check up on you right before he passed out from the drug." Evan grew concerned as he watched Catherine get even more pale than she'd been. He wouldn't have believed it possible if he hadn't seen it. "Cat, sweetheart, what's wrong? He's safe, and so are you. Everything's okay." He tenderly reached out to push a strand of hair from her face, and stroke her head. Her hair was so soft…

He smiled sadly and slowly pulled his hand back. He needed to stop noticing all the little things about her that made her so irresistible to him. He knew where her heart lay, and he wasn't going to be pining for _any_ woman, least of all one that clearly was in love with someone else. This infatuation he had with her would pass. Eventually.

"Evan, something really strange is going on with me," she confessed quietly. "Ever since the accident, I've been feeling things and seeing things… and now it seems maybe it's affecting Vincent too. I don't even know how _that's_ possible, but this morning at the time you said, I was having a horrific nightmare – only it wasn't a nightmare. It was a vision of something that was actually happening…" Her voice faded away as she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. Good thing Vincent wasn't here, he'd be all worried about her. "Before that," she continued, her eyes still closed, "I had sensed that there was evil and danger close by. I called Tess and woke her up – that's how half the precinct ended up down here chasing some crazy guy that had kidnapped Dr. Salter."

"The redhead?" he asked, suddenly . Catherine nodded. "Why would someone want to kidnap her, I wonder?"

Catherine opened her eyes and pinned Evan with her stare. "Think about it, Evan. She was wandering around here yesterday talking about…?" She was satisfied he was following her line of thought when his eyes widened appreciably. "Yes, well, it gets better. Apparently she's his _ex-fiancée._"

Evan let out a low whistle. "Well now, curiouser and curiouser. I assume you figure you know who the bad guys are behind this?"

"I'm certain of it. The only cells who knew about me is dead, so whoever has replaced them must have figured she'd be the most likely bait."

"Wait-_what_?" Evan looked clearly confused. "What cells knew what about _you_?" He was getting a bad feeling about all of this suddenly. If these people could nab Dr. Salter, what would stop them from coming after Catherine?

Catherine sighed. "The dead agents in the subway?" She soundlessly mouthed the word, Muirfield. "They tried to kill me because I knew about.. what they'd done. It was my own fault really… I had called looking for the agent that handled my mom's case after you found the umm… 'unusual evidence' in the Webster case. That was before I knew who was the source of it."

"Yeah, he mentioned something about that. You said 'cells' though. There were more who knew about you?"

"Well, once they were gone, a new team rolled into town and kidnapped me…" She waited for the explosion.

"WHAT?! How did we not know any of this?" Evan was clearly disturbed by this news. She was touched that he cared about her. He might not be dating material, but he was the best kind of friend to have at your back. She sighed.

"I suppose it's no secret to you at this point how much I've had to lie to everyone these last few months. There are a lot of things you don't know, Evan. No one really knows me anymore. I feel like I'm a stranger in my own skin at times, you know? Like I'm living one life, but it's not really the life I'm meant to be living any more. I'm sort of trapped between two worlds."

"We knew something was going on with you," he agreed. "We just didn't know what, or why you were so distant. I must say, we never would have guessed something like this. So tell me about this kidnapping? How did you get away?"

"Remember when I disappeared that one night and Tess was all up in my face wondering what guy I had been with? It was that night. That's why no one could find me. But eventually they released me. They only wanted to frighten me and try to turn me against… him. They were hoping that if they let me go and followed me, I'd lead them straight to him. I tried so hard to protect him, you know? And then he just up and turned himself in to them…"

Evan blinked. "He did? But then how is he-?"

"Are you sure you really want to know?" she asked.

"In for a penny, in for a pound."

Catherine gave a resigned sigh. It really was too late to start worrying about how Evan would react. "I tracked them and went to try and get him back; to stop him from giving up after all this time. Things turned ugly, I shot one of them and well, you know what stress does to him. By the time it was over the whole team had been 'neutralized'."

"Funny… I don't remember any more dead bodies being picked up by the FBI," he commented.

"That's because Vincent cleaned up the mess," she whispered. "We couldn't risk more exposure."

"Dear God, Cat, what a mess you've landed yourself in. I guess I should have kept a closer eye on you."

"Would that be your _wandering_ eye, Doctor Marks?" she teased.

Evan reached up to cup her cheek. "Never. Not where you're concerned." He was gratified by her blush, and pulled his hand back. "So I guess this means that they've sent a new batch of henchman out to track your boyfriend, yeah? I hate to say it, Cat, but you can't just keep killing people to protect him, even if they _are_ an evil sort. Have you considered it might be safer for him to just leave?"

Catherine looked down at where her fingers played restlessly with the blanket covering her. "They – he and JT – have talked about leaving several times; mostly since I came into their lives. I pretty much screwed things up for them. They've been flying under the radar all these years and then I show up and suddenly he's being hunted again." Tears welled in her eyes. "He told me to stay away but I couldn't, you know? I mean, first it was my mom… my need to know what happened to her and I _knew_ he had the answers about why she was murdered… but then after a while it was him. I just couldn't stay away from _him._ Something just kept drawing me back, even when I knew it was dangerous for us both. And now all of this has happened because of me. Because I couldn't stay away."

"So why don't they leave?" Evan asked. "Why keep putting himself at risk?"

Catherine looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes. "Because he's afraid to leave _me_. He's terrified if he leaves, something bad will happen to me."

"Sounds like you're not the only one who can't stay away," Evan observed. They sat in silence for a few minutes and then he offered, "I know it's none of my business really… but what if you _both_ left? We would all miss you horribly of course, but JT and I could keep working toward a therapy to help him, and in the meantime you'd both be safe." He searched her eyes for some sign that he hadn't overstepped his bound with his suggestion. He let out a sigh of relief when she reached over and held his hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you," she said around the emotion tightening her throat. "You don't know how good it is to talk to someone about this after carrying this secret for so long. And you're right – I don't know why I didn't think of it myself sooner. I guess I just didn't trust myself to make any sort of big decision like that." She gave a sad laugh. "Especially when it comes to men. _Not_ the best track record here."

Evan smiled sadly as he trailed his fingertips down her cheek. "It's just because you kept picking the wrong men, sweetheart. Lord knows, I tried to get you to give me a chance but you weren't having any of it. But what's most important to me is to see you happy. And I see the way the two of you are when you think or talk about the other. You're both clearly crazy in love and so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you'd be silly to let your past keep you from grabbing ahold of your future with both hands and hanging on for dear life. Unless – there's some other reason you are afraid to be gone alone with him?"

"No, truly there isn't," she acknowledged, blushing from his frank assessment of her feelings for Vincent. "I know that he's done some… awful things. But even in that, he's always had some sort of control. I mean, he has a good heart, Evan. He's a wonderful man. And somehow when he's not himself, he still tries to protect the innocent. He helps people. It's who he is. The problem is that the other side of him only seems to know one way to help. But I know he would never hurt me. For some reason… when he gets like that… my being with him helps to bring him back down – to ground him in some way."

"Love is a powerful thing, Cat. It makes us do all sorts of things that would normally seem out of character." Catherine wasn't sure if he was still talking about Vincent, or if he was revealing something a little more personal. She figured she would just have to file that under "unanswered questions" because it was a can of worms she did _not_ want to open with him and risk losing their friendship. "Anyway, here's my advice to you, for what it's worth, young lady. You're going to need some time off to let that shoulder heal properly, so why not take a leave of absence and get away from here for a while, yeah? It would probably do you both a whole world of good." He gave her a sly smile. "And it sure beats desk duty, don't you think?"

Catherine blushed and looked down for fear he'd be able to see every emotion she was feeling in her eyes. And she wanted to save that privilege for Vincent alone. She smiled widely, tho, and nodded her head. "I think it's a possibility, and thank you for being such a great friend Evan. Truly, I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes." She braved a quick glance up at him to see him smiling tenderly, mildly amused at her uncharacteristic shyness with him. "Anyway, I'll think about it, and talk to you know who about this as soon as I can. I just wish I could get out of this stupid hospital…"

Evan laughed. "Only another day or two love. It will be over with before you know it." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You rest now. I'll be in touch with our friends and see what we can come up with to get you out of here for a while." He stood to go, and Cat grabbed his hand and smiled up at him. Thanks again."

"Any time, sweetheart. Any time." And he was surprised to realize that he truly meant it.


	16. Chapter 16 - Tempt Not a Desperate Man

**Chapter 16 – Tempt Not a Desperate Man**

JT looked up from the DNA research he was reviewing and pulled the tranquilizer gun a little closer when he heard a moan coming from the mound of sinewy flesh piled on the floor of the loft. He watched tentatively as Vincent began to flex muscles and struggle to regain consciousness. He hated having to drug his friend, but he really couldn't have him running around the streets of New York out of control if it could be prevented.

Vincent attempted to shake the last vestiges of the drug off and looked around until he located JT. "What happened?" he asked, obviously still disoriented.

"You mean you don't remember?" JT sounded worried.

Vincent struggled to clear his head. He was still for a moment, then every muscle in his body tensed as he sprang to his feet in a way that JT had to appreciate as not being fully human. "Catherine!" he choked out. "What happened to her?"

"Relax, big guy, your kitty-Cat is fine." He avoided Vincent's direct look. Dammit, his heart wasn't beating normally. Vincent was going to nail him, he just knew it –

"Well _something's_ not fine. Spit it out, JT."

JT gave a deep sigh. "It would appear our dear friends from Muirfield sent another team to locate you. The Boys are Back in Town." Damn, why did stupid stuff like that pop out of his mouth when he was under stress? He really wished he knew.

Vincent rushed over to the table where JT was sitting, and bracing his hands on the edge he leaned across it with a look of utter intensity on his face. "Did they find Catherine? _Did they touch her?!_" His nerves were stretched so taught that JT reached for the tranquilizer gun in case he snapped.

"Dude, relax," he said in an off-handed manner that he wasn't really connecting with emotionally. "I told you, she's fine. They weren't after her. We don't even know if they know about her, remember?"

"_Then what happened?!_" Vincent's breathing was getting labored and he was afraid he was going to lose it.

"Vincent you have to calm down. You aren't doing anyone any good when you get out of control like this. I'll tell you what you want to know if you just calm down." Vincent pulled out a stool across from JT and dropped into it with a thud, taking a few deep breaths and restoring some semblance of control to himself. "Better?" JT asked. Vincent nodded. "Okay, so Muirfield showed up, but they didn't come after Catherine. They nabbed Alex this time." When Vincent's eyes started glowing, JT held his hands up in a "slow down" gesture and said, "She's okay. The cops rescued her. Tess is playing her bodyguard for the time being."

"The _cops_? How did they know about it?"

"Well, see, that's where things start to get really weird…" He shifted uncomfortably, wondering how Vincent was going to react to what he was about to hear. He wasn't sure himself what he thought of the whole thing.

"Go on," Vincent urged, that eerie glow still lighting his eyes and creeping JT out.

"Weelll…" JT focused his attention on doodling so he wouldn't have to look at Vincent's eyes. "Apparently Catherine had a um.. _vision_ of the abduction and managed to get NYPD's finest there in time to save her. Of course, the Muirfield henchmen managed to get away, but at least Alex is safe, albeit shaken up pretty badly."

"I don't doubt." Vincent slammed his hands flat on the table, making the whole thing shake. "10 years!" he exploded. "10 years I avoid that woman and in the span of 24 hours from the time she sees me, she's up to her neck in danger. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"What you're _supposed_ to do, Vincent, is let the police handle it. She's got protection. Stay away from her and maybe this whole Muirfield thing will blow over."

Vincent gave JT a look that said, "Pull the other one." What came out of his mouth was, "We both know they aren't going to just let this go. They think she knows something now, and they won't stop until they get what they want, or she's dead." He got up and started pacing the floor, his fingers locked in the hair on the back of his head in frustration. "You know, sooner or later, the cops are going to come up empty and they'll have to stop protecting her. They won't have a clue why this is happening or how dangerous these people are." He looked over at JT, who was absently doodling on a piece of scrap paper. "JT? Are you listening to me man? We have to find a way to protect her."

"You know, "JT started, his words slow and deliberate, "there _may_ be another way to help her."

Vincent abruptly stopped pacing and stared at his friend. "Which would be-?"

"I'm not really at liberty to say." He held up one hand to forestall an argument. "I'm just saying it's something that Catherine needs to discuss with you. It's not my place, man. But apparently she and Evan came up with an idea whose time has come."

Vincent tensed at the sound of Catherine's name linked with Evan's. "Why the hell was he hatching plans with Catherine?" he demanded, the veins in his neck starting to bulge.

"Look, dude, I know you and Marks got off to a bad start but he's really trying to help us here. I mean, I couldn't just leave you alone earlier, so I called and he went to check on Cat for us. Which… made more sense anyway and raised less suspicion than my showing up would have. Trust me when I say, whatever his feelings might be for her? He's got the picture loud and clear that she's crazy about you and he isn't going to try and come between the two of you." JT was relieved to see Vincent relax and the beasty edginess in him subside. His relief was short-lived, though, as Vincent grabbed his coat and strode purposefully toward the stairs. "Where are you going now?" JT demanded to know.

"Out. I just need to clear my head. _Don't worry_," Vincent reassured him with a bit of a mocking edge to his tone. "I promise I'll stay to rooftops. I don't have a death wish. Not when there's so much at stake now."

Vincent stormed down the stairs, JT staring after him dumbfounded for a moment before recovering himself. Throwing his hands up in the air he said to the empty room, "I don't know why I even bother."

Vincent kept his word. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop he made his way stealthily to Manhattan's upper east side until he got to Mt. Sinai Hospital. He knew which room Catherine was in, and he strategically located himself atop the building directly across the street. Between all the city noise, the exterior of the building, and his less than ideal proximity, Vincent wasn't sure how much he would be able to hear. But he could see her. And right now, that was a soothing balm to his troubled soul. Kneeling by the ledge that marked the perimeter of the building, he folded his arms on top of its surface, resting his chin on them. Normally he would have perched on the ledge and let his feet dangle, but in broad daylight that would attract too much attention. He was already taking far more risk than he should, and he knew it. But sometimes you have to take risks in life, he thought. This was one of those times.

He squinted as he tried to focus on the interior of Catherine's room. It wasn't that it was too far away for him to see, but with the brightness outdoors, it made it more difficult to see into the shadowy interior of the hospital. Eventually his eyes adjusted and he sighed as he got his first good look at her.

Even in a hospital gown with her hair slightly mussed in a cloud around her head, she was the most lovely sight he'd ever laid eyes on. Whenever he looked at her, it was like no woman had ever existed before her, or ever would again. He was totally smitten. Dimly, he wondered if this was normal. Did human beings actually feel this way when they met their true soul mate, or was part of his reaction to her due to the beast inside him? He'd never pondered that much before, until he had come to the realization that they both had it bad when it came to Catherine Chandler. He wasn't sure whose obsession with her was fueling whose, or if it was just a constant looping of one feeding the other. If that was the case, he was fairly certain he would go mad with it before this was all over - especially if he and Catherine couldn't get their relationship to progress beyond where it was at present. He frowned.

As much as he _wanted_ things to progress, he wasn't sure if it was… possible. Safe. There were so many unanswered questions swirling around in his head. He pulled himself out of his brooding thoughts and focused on Catherine again. He licked his lips, longing so much to press them again to hers; to hear her breath catch, her pulse race wildly…

Even as he thought it, VIncent saw her draw a sharp breath and her head swung to the side to stare out the window directly at him. He knew that her eyes weren't keen enough to actually see him, but yet it felt almost as if she were staring right into his soul. As if the connection he made with her by staring into her eyes linked them…

He watched gratified - and somewhat tormented – as she licked her own lips in the same manner he had done mere moments before. Was she remembering that kiss too? Did she long for the feel of their lips to be locked in blossoming passion? He squeezed his eyes shut and thought about waste management and any other number of disgusting things, trying to cool the heat he felt spiraling through his entire body. He shifted his position trying to ease the sudden discomforting restriction that his jeans were causing. The sound of his own breathing seemed unnatural to him, and he could detect the beginnings of his transformation when he looked at his hands. Damn it! How would he ever be able to consummate his relationship with Catherine if he couldn't allow himself even this level of arousal?

A wave of frustration overtook him, and he lay back on the rooftop, staring up into the blue sky. Of all the things he could regret about what had happened in his life, this one took the cake. He had once told Catherine that he would do it all again if it meant he could be in her life. But at this moment he was beginning to doubt the wisdom in it. What kind of cruel cosmic joke was it for the very thing that brought the woman of his dreams to him, to be the very thing that would always keep them apart?

He jumped when the phone in his pocket started to buzz. _Damn it, JT, not now_… He pulled the phone out to ignore the call and realized it wasn't JT calling him at all. _Catherine_.

"Hey," he said softly into the phone. Despite his inner turmoil, just the thought of talking to her brought him comfort.

"Hey yourself," she said, her voice husky. _Desire_? Could she really feel that way for him, he wondered?

"Shouldn't you be resting?" He was going for admonishing in his tone, but instead his voice came out like a velvet caress. He knew this to be true, by the small gasp of pleasure he heard come through the receiver.

Catherine swallowed. Vincent smiled to himself, relieved that he wasn't the only one who was suffering this cruel torment. Not that he wanted her to suffer; he just wanted her _period_, and it was nice to know the feeling was at least marginally reciprocated.

"I might have better luck with that," she choked out, "if you weren't sitting across the street staring at me and thinking… what you're thinking."

Vincent's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. "I thought you said you can't read minds?"

"I can't. Not exactly… but I can _feel_ you Vincent. Your presence. What you're feeling. It isn't a big leap from there to figure out what you were thinking, under the uh… circumstances…" Even through the phone he could hear her shallow respiration, her racing pulse, and the huskiness in her voice. They all gave her away. Suddenly he felt emboldened slightly, deciding to make a little game out of their misfortune. After all, if he had to suffer the discomforts of their attraction, it might be nice to know she did too. _Misery loves company, after all…_

"And what circumstances might you be referring to, Ms. Chandler?" he asked her. He phrased the question very properly, but she could hear the hint of amusement underlying it. So that's the way he wanted to play it? Catherine was starting to suspect she might have a trick or two up her own sleeve. It would, however, require her to be as uncomfortable as he was, but she was well on her way there anyway, so she decided to take the plunge. She was a little surprised at herself for even thinking it, but she promptly decided to switch her "good girl" filter off and try to shock the good doctor.

Closing her eyes, she thought of exactly what she would like to do to him – do _with_ him – allowing the tension in her own body to escalate and span the distance between them. She wasn't sure how or why, but she was becoming increasingly confident that some sort of new emotional link had formed between them, and she planned to take advantage of it. She was rewarded by the sound of him groaning on the other end of the line. "Mmmhmm," she intoned. "Those circumstances would be the ones to which I was referring."

Vincent gritted his teeth against the overwhelming tide of excitement clenching his body. "Catherine, you're playing with fire," he growled. "Please, you need to stop." Immediately he felt the connection between them fizzle. He took a few deep breaths to get himself under control. "I'm really sorry," he told her. "You just have no idea what that does to me-" He stopped abruptly when he realized he was talking to himself.


	17. Chapter 17 - More Than Words Can Wield

**Chapter 17 – More Than Words Can Wield**

Vincent growled in frustration. He couldn't believe she had hung up on him! When he told her to stop he didn't mean for her to cut him off like that. He gingerly made his way back to the ledge, in spite of the insufferable state he was in. He was dismayed to see Catherine lying in her bed with her back to him, as if she didn't want to risk being connected with him again. _Oh really?_ he thought. _We'll see about that…_ He hit the speed dial for her and heard it start to ring. He was more than a little surprised when he saw her pick up the phone and promptly hit "ignore", sending him to her voicemail. He dialed again, and she repeated the rejection.

Raising an eyebrow, he decided to switch tactics. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but he felt fearless all of a sudden. Maybe because on some level he sensed she needed him to pursue her this time; to not back away and be the insecure one. She needed him to be strong. That gave him pause. Maybe that's what she'd _always_ needed, and he was just realizing it because of this new bond they shared…

His mind drifted back to their conversation the day before, and he felt like he'd been sucker punched as the full impact of what he'd learned about Catherine rooted itself in his consciousness. She was vulnerable; he'd seen it with his own eyes finally. But that kind of vulnerability doesn't just suddenly appear. No, he had to admit to himself - she had _always_ been vulnerable with him. Problem was, he'd been too wrapped up in himself to realize it until now.

He turned and sat down, leaning his back against the short wall at the edge of the roof. For all of his physical strength, he had to acknowledge that he was emotionally weak. Damaged goods. Then Catherine had blown into his life like a tornado with her strength and conviction, fighting with him and for him, demanding she be given a place in his life. And he had been all too happy to let her love him and give him the emotional support he'd needed so desperately. But at what cost? He'd never stopped to consider that until now.

He thought back to all the times that his insecurity had caused him to push her away, while secretly hoping that she would push back; demand that he continue to include her in his life, consequences be damned. Many times she had done just that, and it gave him hope and strength to carry on, to keep dreaming that they could somehow share a life together.

But there were other times – times when she had retreated into herself, pulling away from him, sometimes saying things that pierced his heart like a knife. Those were the memories he needed to revisit now, and examine with new eyes. He thought back to the earliest days of their acquaintanceship, when he was still trying to convince her to stop seeing him for both their sakes. What was it she had said the night of her father's engagement party? Something about understanding what it was like to hide out and push people away because you don't feel deserving? He had thought at the time she was simply talking about him, but she'd said she _understood_ what it was like. Was this her life too? Why had he never seen this before? Why had he never realized that she didn't feel like she deserved to be loved either?

Then he came into her life, all broody and needing, and what did he do? Did he ever once, with all his super senses, pick up on the fact that she needed him just as much? No. Instead, he'd ravaged her emotionally, telling her she could kiss whoever she wanted, callously saying they weren't anything to each other, that being with her was too big a risk; lie after lie that he told her in an attempt to protect his own pride and keep her from seeing how much he loved her, never caring that it was slowly killing her inside to think that he didn't share the feelings he now knew she'd had.

He recalled the night of the gallery opening, when he stopped by her apartment. She was clearly hurting from his heartless dismissal of her earlier in the day. He'd actually sort of felt bad about that one, especially after JT had convinced him that Catherine would only wait for him for so long before she moved on and that he should tell her how he felt. But when he showed up at her apartment, he felt like she totally blew him off. At the time he was afraid he'd totally missed his chance with her, when she'd told him to just stick to cases; that that was all they were to each other.

But as usual, he'd been filtering everything she said through his self-absorbed lens, hearing only what he wanted to hear. No. Hearing what he felt he _deserved_ to hear. _Rejection_. But she'd said other things that night, hadn't she? Things he hadn't even tried to process. His eyebrows drew inward as he tried to recall what she _had_ said. Something about letting her down easy… could she really have thought he was pulling back because he didn't share her feelings? That he thought she was… stupid, she had said, for thinking he would come over and share dinner with her, like they were a normal couple? He closed his eyes, replaying the whole thing in his mind, trying to remember what else she had said. There was something else he was forgetting, he was certain.

And then he remembered. She had confessed that she had felt their connection was destiny; that fate had brought them together. Which was exactly how he felt. But then she'd dismissed the whole thing by saying he'd saved other people. Why didn't he understand at the time that she was hurting inside, worrying that she had been foolish for thinking she was special to him?

All this time he had selfishly taken from her what she offered and he so badly needed, but he never once considered what he needed to _bring_ into the relationship. He could try to blame his lack of interpersonal skills on the fact that he had been hiding out for the last 10 years, removed from any kind of social interaction. But the truth was, he'd let fear chart the course of his relationship with Catherine instead of love. He vaguely recalled something he heard in Sunday School when he was younger and his mother had dragged him to church. Something about perfect love casting out fear. Perhaps it was time to take a step of faith and put his own needs and fears aside to let the love he had for Catherine blossom and be the driving force in his life. After everything she had done for him, he owed her this; to love her the way she deserved to be loved – without reservation. He decided if she wouldn't answer her phone, he'd just have to reach her another way.

Closing his eyes, he focused all of his attention on her. He imagined holding her in his arms, the way he had at her father's wedding reception, pulling her close until their bodies were in contact all down the front of them. He had fought against his desire for her then, not wanting his body to betray how deeply she moved him. But now, in the privacy of his thoughts – and hopefully hers – he allowed his body free reign as he attempted to channel all of his emotion into a silent message for her. His breathing became labored as the scene in his fantasy became more intimate, reflecting the things he would have done to her that evening if they had been alone; the way his hands would have slowly caressed her, dipping below her waist to gently cup her beautiful backside and pull her close to his hardened body until there was no mistaking the effect she had on him. He fantasized how she would gasp, wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting up to gently kiss him, and how that simple meeting of the lips would have exploded into a heated desire that would threaten to consume them both.

He groaned aloud as he imagined taking her home and silently seducing her out of her dress so that Heather would be none the wiser, trailing his fingers over her heated flesh, teasing her until she wanted to scream at him to touch her where she ached for him...

His phone buzzed once. A text had come in. He looked at the display and smiled, then opened the message. **_Why are you doing this?_**

Still allowing the sexual energy in him to flow freely he managed to type, **_Doing what?_** _Send._ He hoped she answered soon. The heat in him was getting almost unbearable. He didn't dare try to alleviate his own suffering, not knowing what it would do to him physiologically. He closed his eyes and resumed his mental teasing of her.

Another buzz.

**_Ytou kjnowq ewhast! _** Vincent chuckled. Apparently she was feeling it as intensely as he was, if she couldn't type. His response to her was simple: **_Call me._** Mere seconds later his phone went off.

"Yes?" he asked as he answered it. He was having a hard time keeping his voice steady under the circumstances.

"Vincent, what are you doing?" She whined into the phone. "You tease, and then when I tease back, you tell me to stop. Then you start it up again. Why is everything always on your terms?"

Ouch. That hit a little too close to home for what he'd already been thinking. "I'm sorry, but I needed to get your attention and since you kept ignoring my calls…"

"Well what did you expect me to do?" He could hear the tears of frustration in her voice.

"I had _hoped_ that you would let me explain _why_ I asked you to stop. Will you?" He half expected her to hang up on him again, but she didn't. She didn't answer him either, except with a few muffled sniffles. He took the opportunity to forge ahead. "Catherine, there is nothing I want more than to be intimate with you, I hope you know that. But the truth is, I don't know what could happen if I let myself get too, uh… well… you know." He paused until he heard her murmur to continue. "I know it doesn't seem fair, but when I'm in control of what's uh… stimulating me… I can control how fast and how far it goes. But this thing with you being able to-" He swallowed hard from embarrassment before finishing, "arouse me with your thoughts? I'm totally out of control and it frightens me. Not because I mind the thought of you… you know…" He could feel his face getting really hot . "It's just, if I feel like something _else_ is going to happen as a result, I have to be able to ask you to stop before things happen that we both would regret. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered between tears. "I shouldn't have pushed so hard. I guess we need to get used to this whole.. whatever it is between us before I start using it like that. It's just…"

"What is it, Catherine?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"Never mind," she said. "It's too embarrassing."

There was no mistaking what she was feeling though. Vincent smiled. "Hey. I want you too. More than you can imagine."

"Oh, I don't know," she replied with a little chuckle. "I can imagine pretty good."

Vincent laughed out loud. "Touché. You certainly can." He was pleased to feel some of the tension between them dissipate. "Hey, by the way… JT said that you have something you want to discuss with me? Some plan you and Evan came up with?"

"Yeah, I do. But I don't want to do it over the phone, you know? Thank God they told me I can get out of here tomorrow! Can you come over tomorrow night? I should be settled back into my apartment by then. I can tell Heather I'm going to bed early and then we can have the evening to ourselves."

"Sounds like a dream come true," he answered, his voice a husky rumble indicating just how appealing the idea was to him. "Besides, I have some things I need to talk to you about too. Things better said in person."

"Great. Then it's a date." She smiled. This time she wasn't going to back down.

Vincent thought his heart was going to explode. "The first of many, I hope."


	18. Chapter 18 - An Unnatural Sleep

**Chapter 18 – An Unnatural Sleep**

Evan scowled at the body lying on his autopsy table. Or rather, what was _left_ of a body. He'd been totally disturbed by this case from the moment he walked onto the crime scene a couple hours earlier. A tip from an anonymous caller had sent them to an underpass where they found the remains of a teenage girl, her body lacerated almost beyond recognition. What had him perplexed was that he had estimated the time of death at roughly 6 am. His mind was at war with his eyes, trying to make sense of what lay before him. The wounds that covered this victim looked like _claw_ marks, and the only cases he had seen in recent history of anything like it were ones that he now knew involved Vincent. Well, and that psychopath Peter Hollingsworth. The Third.

Catherine had assured him that Vincent protected innocent lives, and yet, what could be more innocent than a young girl out for an early morning jog? He might not be a detective, but the running sneakers and what appeared to have been a jogging suit were kind of a giveaway.

What could have caused Vincent to do such a thing? He thought back to the early morning phone call he got from JT asking him to go to the hospital and check on Cat. He had said that Vincent was out cold from a tranquilizer dart – but what if that was merely a cover so he wouldn't suspect that Vincent had done this? It seemed to be a ready-made alibi.

Or was that what someone _else_ wanted him to think? Could the men who had abducted Dr. Salter be responsible for this? For somehow trying to frame Vincent to launch an all-out manhunt for the beast that killed innocent young women? And if Vincent _was _being framed, how many more lives would these monsters sacrifice to accomplish their goal? He pulled off one rubber glove as he headed to his phone. Reaching it, he scrolled through the caller id until he found the call from JT. Damn it! Of _course_ the number was blocked. JT wouldn't take unnecessary chances. He sat down at his desk, and logged onto his computer. Pulling up the files for the Ashley Webster case, he scanned through Cat and Tess' notes, looking for contact information. He knew they had gone to wherever it was the man lived to talk to him…

After skimming the entire file he growled in frustration. It would seem Cat had gone back in after the case was closed and erased any mention of JT from the investigation. He idly wondered how many other cases she had purposely altered in an attempt to protect Vincent. He was beginning to wonder if Cat's integrity was compromised to the point where she couldn't be trusted. This went beyond looking the other way; now he had cause to believe she was illegally purging information from active investigations.

Still, he was going to need her if he was going to be able to contact JT Forbes. He punched in the number to her cell and waited impatiently. Fortunately she picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Evan," she answered in a dreamy voice, followed by a yawn.

"Oh, hey – did I wake you?" He might have suspicions about her recent conduct, but she was still his friend. He couldn't help but care about her health.

"Yeah but it's ok. Seems all I do is sleep. I'm getting lazy." She chuckled.

Evan smiled. "Sweetheart, of all the things I could imagine you being, lazy is not one of them. Your body just needs rest to heal is all."

"Yeah, that's what the doctor told me too. I just hate feeling so sluggish. They said they stopped giving me pain meds but I still feel kind of loopy. I wonder how long it takes them to wear off…" Her voice drifted off to silence.

"Cat?" No response. "CAT!" Evan was feeling frantic. When she didn't answer him, he hung up the phone and started pacing, trying to think. Before he could even process what just happened, his phone rang. Snatching it off the wall he barked, "Morgue!"

"Evan?"

Evan clenched his teeth trying to regain some control. "Yes – who is this?"

"Evan it's – Vincent. I need your help. I think something's wrong with Catherine." He sounded desperate. Much the way Evan himself was feeling.

"Where are you?" Evan demanded to know.

"I'm on the roof of the building across the street from her room. Some doctor came into her room about half an hour ago and she's been acting strange ever since. She was awake and alert before that and suddenly she can't stay awake and now…" He swallowed down the fear choking him. "Now I can't feel her. At all. It's like she doesn't exist. For 9 years I've been able to sense her presence and now… nothing. I think someone may be trying to kill her. Please," he begged, "Can you check on her?"

"On my way," Evan told him, hanging up before Vincent could even respond. He efficiently placed the dead girl's body into the morgue's refrigerated storage unit. Whatever was going on with that case could wait. Catherine's life was of primary importance.

As he was running out of the precinct, he ran into Joe. "How's that autopsy coming along, Marks? You finished already?"

"No, I haven't even really started it yet," Evan said, never breaking stride as he headed for his car. He heard the sound of Joe's footsteps running up behind him, just before a hand grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"Look, I don't know where you think you're going in such a hurry, but I need that autopsy done yesterday. This looks like it's the work of our vigilante killer and I don't want the trail to get cold."

Evan looked the Lieutenant square in the eyes and said, "Something's really wrong with Cat. I _think_ someone may be trying to harm her. Do you really want to stand here and argue about a case?"

Joe's eyes widened. "Harm her how? What's going on?"

Evan unlocked his car and opened the driver door. "Get in. I'll explain on the way."

* * *

As Vincent talked with Evan, he paced on the rooftop across from Mt. Sinai Hospital, his eyes never leaving Catherine's still form. Even before they ended their call he knew it would take Evan too long to reach the hospital. If he waited it might be too late to save her. In a desperate gesture he knew could change his entire life, he called directory assistance and got patched through to the ICU Unit.

"I need to speak to Dr. Salter please," he told the receptionist, an edge of impatience in his voice.

"I'm sorry, she's doing rounds. May I take a message?"

"No! This is a life and death emergency. Have her paged immediately!" He was relieved when the receptionist put him on hold with assurances that she would track Alex down. Less than a minute later he heard the line picked up and her voice greeted him.

"This is Dr. Salter, how may I help you?"

"Alex, listen to me. Don't say anything but you need to get to Catherine Chandler's room immediately. Something is wrong with her – I think someone may have poisoned her."

"Wha-what?" Vincent could see her standing in the reception lobby on the lower level of the hospital. She spun around looking for him, her face clearly expressing how terrified she was.

"Alex, snap out of it!" he barked at her. "You're trained for emergencies – focus! Go to Catherine Chandler's room NOW!" He cut the connection with her, forestalling any more discussion on the matter. He had to trust that her instincts would kick in and spur her into action. He wasn't disappointed, as he saw her run full throttle up the stairs and a moment later burst into Catherine's room. He watched her immediately remove the IV, then scan the monitors by Catherine's bedside, even as she was checking for a pulse. She pushed the intercom on the wall and within seconds medical personnel were piling into the room. Vincent watched helplessly from across the street, tears streaming down his face as an overwhelming sense of emptiness filled him. Had he saved Catherine from the wreck, just to lose her now? What kind of cruel injustice was the universe capable of? Or was this his punishment somehow, for the lives he had taken when he was transformed into the beast?

He looked on while Alex valiantly performed CPR on Catherine's still body – his past fighting for his future, even though she didn't know it. Even if she had, he knew Alex well enough to know she still would have done everything in her power to save Catherine's life. He could see her calling out orders to the cloud of professionals assisting her, and he was grateful she had accepted his assertion about the poisoning. There wasn't a moment to waste. He only hoped they hadn't been too late…

Vincent dropped to his knees by the ledge and closed his eyes. Focusing every ounce of energy he possessed in his body he searched for that spark of life in her. If she could hold on to that, if she could fight… A shudder shook his entire muscular frame. He suddenly felt filled with Catherine's presence but he wasn't prepared for what happened next.

"I'm here, Vincent. I'll always be here," he heard her voice say inside his mind. A gentle caress made the scar on his cheek tingle, and a breeze lifted his hair like fingers threading themselves into it. Her scent filled the air around him. Vincent's fear became unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"No," he choked out. "Catherine you have to go back. You have to fight. I need you here with me. _All_ of you. Please.. if I lose you I may as well die. I need you to _fight_. Not just for yourself but for _us_."


	19. Chapter 19 - Hear My Soul Speak

**Chapter 19 – Hear My Soul Speak**

After his impassioned plea, Vincent had one more chill shake him and then she was gone. Her voice, her presence, the scent of her… He hoped that was a good sign; that she had accepted his need for her to fight to come back to him.

Focusing on the flurry of activity in her room again, he noticed that Alex was no longer doing CPR, and that a fresh IV drip had been started, and a nurse was doing an IV push of some medication. Catherine had also been intubated. He sighed in relief. She wasn't out of the woods by any means, but at least she was still alive. This time as he reached into the void to find her, he was careful to project his presence toward her, instead of pulling her to himself. In his mind, he stood at the head of her bed, gently caressing her hair, whispering to her of his love and giving her tender reassurances that he was there and would remain so. It was faint, but he could feel the spark of life in her still hanging on.

Dimly he was aware of Evan's car screeching up to the entrance of the hospital, complete with a police escort that he had acquired en route. He was conflicted, though, when he saw Joe Bishop get out of the car as well. His didn't completely trust Evan yet to not spill the beans about everything Catherine was involved in to their boss. But he supposed if a detective had been the victim of _two_ murder attempts in a 48 hour period, it would have looked more suspicious if Evan _hadn't_ involved the Lieutenant. He hoped that they would be able to find some evidence of the man who had done this to his Catherine, but he wasn't holding out much hope. The whole thing reeked of Muirfield. Who else would want Catherine dead? Apparently word had filtered up the pipeline about her after all.

While keeping his mind primarily focused on his connection with Catherine, he scanned the windows of the hospital. He saw Evan and Cat's boss in conversation with Alex. Good, she would be filling them in on what had happened. He expected they would put a guard at her door at all times. The idea frustrated him, because he'd wanted to sneak in and spend the night with her, but now there would be no way for him to – unless… An idea began forming in his mind and he started contemplating it.

A sudden wave of panic flooded him. From some faraway corner of her mind he felt Catherine's fear of him being discovered. "Shhh," he whispered to her. "It'll be alright. I'll be careful. Nothing is ever going to take me away from you." He smiled to himself. It warmed any remaining cold, dark places he had left inside himself to see the way she rallied her strength the moment she thought _he_ might be in danger. Never in his life had he ever dared to dream he could find a love as pure and unconditional as what his Catherine gave him. Not even when he was "normal". That she could feel this way about him in his current state left him more than a little awed.

After a few minutes he saw Alex leave Catherine's room, as well as the Lieutenant. It rankled him that Evan stayed in the room with her, but the rational part of him was glad that she was being watched over until a protection detail could be set up. He looked down in time to see Joe exit the hospital, already on his cell phone. Listening in, Vincent could hear him calling the precinct and giving orders for a uniformed officer to be sent to the hospital immediately.

When Alex appeared to be between patients, he called the hospital again and asked for her. He could tell she was still shook up when she answered the phone simply saying, "Hello?"

"Hey Alex it's me. Can you give me your cell # so I don't have to keep calling the front desk?"

She rattled the number off for him. Lowering her voice she asked, "Is it safe for you to be calling here?"

"I have a burner phone. I'll destroy it after today. How's Catherine?"

_I'm fine, Vince, how are you?_ her snarky inner voice retorted. "Touch and go. I don't want to discuss anything more like this."

Vincent was oblivious to the edge in her voice. He was a man with a mission. "That's fine, because I have a plan. What time do you get off?"

Alex sighed wearily. "I'm pulling a double today. I won't get off until 11."

"When are you planning to take a break? I'll call your cell so we can talk."

He saw her check her watch. "Probably around 6. And I'll expect you to tell me just what's going on when you do." With that she slammed the phone into its cradle and walked away from the desk.

Vincent was a little shocked at her attitude for a moment, until it occurred to him how he'd been speaking to her. She was used to being not only his lover, but his friend and confidante; yet here he was basically barking orders at her. He made a mental note to apologize when he called her later.

The rest of the afternoon was spent keeping his rooftop vigil, watching over Catherine to make sure no one else came into her room and posed a threat to her. Once the armed guard arrived to be posted outside Catherine's door, Evan headed back to his car. As Vincent looked on, Evan opened the driver's door then pulled out his cell and pretended to speed dial.

"Dilaudid overdose," he spoke into it, hoping Vincent's super-soldier hearing could pick up his voice from that far away. "Barely caught her in time. Good call." With that, he flipped the phone closed, slid into his car and sped off toward the precinct. Vincent's appreciation for the man jumped several notches. He didn't have to be considerate of how Vincent would be worrying, but he had taken the time to let him know what was going on. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Vincent pulled out his cell and punched in JT's number to give him the latest news.

* * *

Harris and Reynolds sat in the back of an old white Chevy van across the street from the hospital. They monitored the comings and goings of the NYPD and knew that the poisoning attempt on Catherine Chandler must have been discovered. _Perfect_. If Vincent Keller was anywhere in the area, he'd know about it. They were banking, based on the information Ghostwalker had provided, that Keller would let his emotions rule his actions and be drawn out of hiding to watch over the beautiful young detective. Hopefully they would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Or bullet, as the case might be.

Reynolds took a sip of his coffee. Hot and black. Just the way he liked it. He slid a sideways glance at the other agent. "So what's up with you and Kelly?" he asked nonchalantly.

Harris almost choked on the donut he was scarfing down. "Kelly? Seriously? There is no "me and Kelly". What in hell ever gave you the idea there's anything but aggravation between us? She's like the kid sister I never wanted."

"Yep, you just keep telling yourself that," Reynolds told him with a knowing grin. "One of these days your hormones might just believe you."

"Shut the hell up, you moron. You know as well as I do that she's a royal pain in the ass."

"Oh I know. I'm just not the type of guy that's turned on by that sort of thing." Reynolds left the unspoken thought hanging in the air.

"And you think I am? Is that it? You know, just shut up. I don't give a damn what you think." Harris was clearly getting pissed.

Reynolds laughed out loud. "Are you listening to yourself? You ask me a question and then tell me to shut up before I can even answer. Man, this chick has gotten _way_ under your skin. You're toast, buddy."

Before Harris could come back with anything the phone in the van went off. Instead of arguing with the senior agent, he pushed the button to accept the call. "Hey guys," came the chipper greeting. _Regan Kelly, speak of the devil._

"What in hell do YOU want?" Harris barked at her. There was complete silence on the other end of the line right before the connection terminated.

"Nice going, jackass. What did that poor kid ever do to you, anyway?" Reynolds was starting to lose his humor with Harris's attitude.

Flinging open the sliding door of the van, Harris answered, "It's just none of your damned business."

"Where are you going? We're supposed to be watching for Keller. You can't just _leave_. "

"Watch me. Don't worry, I'll be back." With that he slammed the door shut and took off down the street, oblivious to the figure 6 stories above him who had been eavesdropping on their spat. Vincent smiled. Apparently they hadn't had a chance to update his files to reflect just _how_ good his senses had become. _Advantage: Keller_.

* * *

Evan pulled his car up and parked behind the precinct. After he turned his car off, he just sat there in a daze for a few moments. It had been one hell of a day, that was for sure. He had too many things on his mind, not the least of which was worrying about Catherine. She'd had 2 attempts made on her life in as many days, and the second attempt had almost succeeded. He couldn't bear to think how close they had come to losing her. Add to that all the unanswered questions he had about just how far she had gone over the edge in her attempts to protect Vincent…

He leaned forward and dropped his forehead onto the steering wheel. And now he had to go back to the morgue and start analyzing DNA and pray that it didn't come back positive for Vincent. He wanted to believe that Catherine was a good judge of character and wouldn't be protecting him if he was a cold-blooded killer. He had trusted JT's claim that Vincent was drugged unconscious at the time this murder had supposedly happened. But now he wasn't so sure it wasn't just a cover to throw off suspicion.

Steeling himself, he climbed out of his car and wearily headed for the morgue. He wished he could be anywhere else right now, but duty called. He just hoped that the answers he found weren't going to destroy the lives of people he cared deeply for. He'd barely stepped inside his office when the phone rang. "Morgue," was his only greeting.

"Good, you're back." Joe. Evan squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing them with his thumb and forefinger. He was getting a headache already and he hadn't even pulled the body out of refrigeration yet.

"Barely," he answered with a weary sigh. "If you're calling about the autopsy, I was just about to get set up to start it."

"Ok, let me know as soon as you have anything." Joe paused. "How's Cat doing?"

"No change. She was still unconscious when I left. They're hopeful they caught the overdose in time, but she's apt to have a bit of a rough sled of it, even so."

"Evan, you're close to Catherine. Do you have any idea why all of a sudden every psycho in a 25 mile radius seems to be gunning for her?"

_To lie, or not to lie…_ "Not a clue. But I feel it only fair to warn you that if we find the perp, I'm apt to go a little homicidal myself." _At least that much is true_, Evan thought.

"Duly noted, and completely understood. I may have to call in help myself. I'm not sure how objective I'll be. Call me when you get the results on that autopsy." Evan breathed a sigh of relief at Joe's standard dismissal.

"Right, will do." Hanging up, he turned to stare at the bank of cold chambers on the far wall. It was going to be a long evening.


	20. Chapter 20 - Though This Be Madness

**Chapter 20 – Though This Be Madness**

By default, Tess was the only one available that knew the Chandler family well, so Joe assigned her the unpleasant task of informing them about the latest attempt on Catherine's life. He also insisted that she get Heather out of the apartment that she and Cat shared. If whoever was behind this latest attack came looking for Catherine or something she had in her possession, he didn't want the little sister getting caught in the cross-fire.

Tess knocked and waited. She could hear movement inside the apartment and knew that Heather was clumsily making her way to the door. When it swung open she immediately discerned the reason for the delay. She had caught Heather napping. Poor girl was probably exhausted from all the emotional upheaval of the last 2 days.

"Oh, hey Tess," she said with a yawn, turning to walk back into the apartment. "Come on in." Tess followed her inside, closing the door behind her. "What brings you by?" Heather asked her. Tess watched as Heather collapsed onto the sofa and pulled the blanket back over herself.

"Well actually, Joe sent me by to help you get some things together and take you to your dad's place for a few days." There. Direct and to the point.

Heather chuckled. "What on earth for? I want to stay here so I'm closer to the hospital. I'm going to go and see Cat in a little bit once I rest up." She frowned. "You'd think _I_ was the one that got shot the way I'm dragging around here…"

"Heather, listen to me. Something's happened, and we don't think it's safe for you to stay here right now. Especially alone."

Heather sat up, a look of terror on her face. "What happened?" Her question was a barely audible squeak. Tess' look softened with compassion, and she got up and crossed the room to sit next to Heather.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to tell it to you straight." She reached out and grabbed Heather's hand in support. "Someone tried to kill Cat again today. We don't know who though."

"Oh my GOD!" Heather broke down sobbing and Tess wrapped her arms around her and just held her, stroking her back to try and comfort her. "Why is this happening to Cat? She'd never hurt anyone! Well, except maybe that awful Sabrina lady but only because she started it!" Tess was glad she was holding Heather so that her own look of worry wasn't visible to the girl. She'd been wondering the very same thing. After a minute or so, Heather's cries had been reduced to a couple of hiccups, and she slowly pulled herself from Tess' embrace. "So that's why you want me to go to Dad's, isn't it? You think whoever this psycho is might show up here?"

"He probably won't," Tess told her with more conviction than she felt. "But we all care far too much for you to leave you here alone and take that kind of chance."

"I want to go see Cat before we go to Dad's," Heather told her.

"Hey, we're taking good care of her, and she's… heavily sedated. She won't even know you're there." Tess winced inside. Looks like she was joining the rank and file of the NYPD Liars Club. Well, technically she hadn't lied, she told herself. She just put a less frightening spin on the situation. "Besides, Cat would want me to make sure you're safe above all else."

Heather gave Tess a watery smile. "Okay, if you think it's best. You guys have always been so good to me." She launched herself at Tess and gave her a big hug, before jumping up and running to her room. "I'll just grab a few things and I'll be ready!" she called over her shoulder. Tess just shook her head with a chuckle. Heather was resilient. She'd be okay. She wasn't quite as sure how Mr. Chandler was going to take the news.

* * *

Vincent had been silently pacing back and forth on the rooftop, trying to keep himself relatively calmed down while he waited for Alex to take her dinner break. Shortly before 6 he saw her go in and check on Catherine, who had been moved back to the ICU. It was almost completely dark out, so he was able to see clearly inside her room. If Alex had been facing just a little more to the left, he could have read Catherine's chart over her shoulder. As it was, he relaxed a little when Alex's expression seemed reasonably neutral as she checked the monitors – apparently there was no cause for immediate alarm.

He waited several minutes after she left the room before dialing her number, giving her time to get to somewhere private so she could talk. He wasn't the least surprised when she answered on the first ring.

"Ok, where are you?" she asked with no polite greeting.

Vincent sighed. "I'm close by," he told her. "Look, I want to apologize for earlier. I was kind of… rude to you. I know you have lots of question-"

"You're damned right I do! What the hell is going on?" He heard the snick of a door opening and closing behind her. His tension escalated.

"Alex – you're still inside the hospital aren't you? Please, you _have_ to stay inside and in the line of sight of people. Trust me on this, it isn't safe for you to be alone right now."

Hearing the urgency in his voice, Alex quickly turned around and went back inside the building. "Vince, what is going on?!" she demanded in a hoarse whisper. "And I'm back in the building, so relax."

"Listen to me. The men that kidnapped you the other morning? They are here. Do you understand? They are sitting outside the hospital and they are watching everything that's going on." He heard her gasp. "You can't act differently – you have to just do your job and pretend everything is fine."

"Are these men responsible for what happened to Detective Chandler?" He could hear a slight edge of hysteria starting to creep into her voice.

Vincent thought back to the man he'd seen leaving the van earlier. He was almost 100% certain he was the one that had gone into Catherine's room before she went unconscious. "Yes, I'm pretty certain they are," he answered. He had to fight the urge to tell her too much.

"Well I think you owe me an explanation then," she told him, and he could hear the determined side of her kicking in and chasing away some of the hysteria. Funny, how after all these years, he could still read her like a book.

"What about?" he hedged.

"I think you know perfectly well what about. Catherine Chandler told me she didn't know you, but that's obviously a lie. I'm not stupid, Vince. The men that tried to get to you by kidnapping me wouldn't try to kill a perfect stranger to force you to come out of hiding. They'd go after someone who was –" She swallowed hard.

"Alex? You ok?"

"They'd go after someone who was important to you, right? So who exactly is she? No more lies. I want you to tell me the truth!"

He sighed. "Look, me and Catherine? It's… complicated." He tried to choose his words carefully, but his head was swimming with worry and doubt and this low level rage that was just simmering, waiting to boil over.

"Complicated _how_?" she pressed him. "Is she your friend? You _lover?_ Vince, is she why you never came home to me? Why you let me think you were _dead_?"

"No!" he protested. "Look I told you why I didn't come home, alright? It wasn't safe for you to be in my life! And if you didn't believe me then, after being kidnapped and then seeing what these people will do _right under your nose_ _to one of your_ _patients_ doesn't convince you that I'm telling the truth about that, I don't know what else to say to convince you."

Alex felt liked she'd been slapped. She got that he was worried about her and this Catherine, but to insult her as if she wasn't providing adequate care to her patients! "You don't have to be nasty, you know. I guess you really _have_ changed. Before you left for Afghanistan you never would have insulted me like that."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But you just don't get it. These people, they're playing for keeps. And they don't care who is collateral damage along the way. And for the record? The old Alex never would have insulted _me_ by insinuating I was a liar. So I guess that makes us even, right?"

Rubbing her forehead against the onslaught of a massive headache she said, "I don't want to sit and argue with you about who's changed more and who is more wrong here. I just want answers. Who is Detective Chandler to you?"

This was his moment of truth. He just hoped that she had the strength to hear it. "Like I said, it's complicated. And really, it is. My ties to Catherine go back to my time in Afghanistan-"

"She was _there_?"

"No, but her mom was. It's a really long story, but her mom was working on that… classified project I was part of. Those people around me that I told you died because they knew too much? Her mom was one of them, okay? I was just a few minutes too late to save her from being killed, but Catherine was with her when it happened, and I managed to get there in time to save _her_." His voice was hoarse, raw with emotion, remembering vividly every detail of that fateful night. "She was just a kid, you know? Barely 19, and her mom was gunned down in cold blood in front of her. Something like that… it changes a person. Anyway, I was worried that they might come back for Catherine, so I kinda watched over her from the shadows for a lot of years, just to make sure she was ok. Her mom… was always good to me. I felt I owed that much to her, after failing to be there when she needed me."

"I still don't see why you feel responsible for what happened," she said in a much quieter voice filled with emotion. "I mean, I know you always took your responsibility to humanity very seriously, but this? This is way above reasonable duty, Vince. Why should you have to risk your whole life trying to save all these people? And what makes you even think you _can_?"

"Because it's like I told you the other morning. _I'm_ the one they're really after. They killed Dr. C trying to get to me, and to shut her up about what she knew. And that's why I'm so worried about you _and_ about Catherine. Because they know now that they can use either or both of you as bait to draw me out."

"So.. her mom was a doctor? What kind of project was it Vince?"

"Alex, don't. It doesn't matter, okay? What matters is keeping both of you safe until I can figure out a way to end this madness. I don't know. Maybe I just need to turn myself in. Then they can leave you both alone." His moment of truth for telling her all of what Catherine meant to him had come and gone. It was something he'd have to save for another day.

"NO! That's not an option, do you hear me? I'm sure they think Catherine and I already know too much anyway. Without you around, they'd have no reason to keep us alive either." Vincent smiled. There was the Alex he remembered. Strong. Sharp. And maybe a little too fearless for her own good. He'd do well to keep that last part in mind. "Vince?" Her timid voice was back. "How did you know about Catherine this afternoon? That she was in trouble? That she'd been poisoned?"

"Like I said, I'm close by," he evaded. "I've gotten good at hiding over the years. I've been watching over Catherine – over _both_ of you- since she's been in the hospital. Which, actually, is what I need to talk to you about. You're going off duty at 11… I want to be able to stay with Catherine through the night to make sure no more 'unfortunate accidents' occur. I was thinking you could take me in to her room and tell her guard that since you're going off duty you wanted to post a resident you trust in the room to monitor her care and make sure any procedures are legitimate."

"Vincent no! Isn't that dangerous? Exposing yourself like that? Isn't that what those men want?"

Vincent chuckled. "Yeah, it's exactly what they want. But what they don't know is that I've been watching _them_ too and I know where they are. I can avoid being seen by going in an entrance on the other side of the hospital and working my way through to meet you somewhere _away _from all those damned windows in the lobby. And once I'm inside her room, I should be reasonably safe with an armed guard outside the door. It's not like they're going to storm the hospital with bombs and rifles. Stealth is their trademark. Remember, they're trying to fly under the radar too, and clean up the mess they made in Afghanistan. They don't want to be seen any more than I do."

"I'm trusting you, Vince, to not turn the ICU into a warzone."

"Believe me, that's not what I want either. I promise to try and keep things quiet. So does this mean you'll help me? Get me into her room for the night?"

Alex thought he sounded a little too eager to be spending the night keeping vigil over her patient, but she wasn't going to deny that it was a really good idea to have someone in the room that could keep an eye on things from a medical standpoint. Someone she could trust. "There's a service entrance on the back side of the building we're in, midway down the building. If you can get to it safely, that would be probably the easiest place to bring you in unnoticed. Can you meet me there at 10?"

"Not a problem. Grab me a lab coat if you could, too, so I look less conspicuous. And a mask."

"Ok, sure. And Vince?"

"Yeah Alex?"

"Be careful, okay? We may not be together now, but I still don't want to have to bury you again." He could hear the quiver in her voice, and he felt yet another pang of regret that she had ended up becoming involved in all of this, after he'd tried so hard to keep her safe.

"I will," he said, gentling her with his voice. "I promise."


	21. Chapter 21 - The Course of True Love

**Took me 21 chapters to realize that the borders I put between the sections in a chapter aren't showing up. Geez. Sorry about that people. Just fixed this chapter anyway...**

**Chapter 21 – The Course of True Love**

"Can I help you?" Regan Kelly made no pretense of formally answering the phone; she could read the caller ID just fine. And she was _not _happy to hear from him. Ben Harris knew he had a lot of ground to make up to get things back on an even keel with her, just from the frosty tone in those four simple words.

"Hey, Regan." Even to his own ears he sounded like a whipped puppy; he was glad that Lucas Reynolds was back in the van where he couldn't overhear the conversation. Ben had let Lucas think he was storming off in anger in an attempt to salvage his pride, because what he really was about was that he wanted to apologize for the way he'd treated Regan.

"Did you need something, _Agent _Harris? Or am I supposed to just waste my time listening to you breathe now? I realize I'm not oh-so-important as you and all, but I do still have a job to do."

He supposed he deserved that. Probably worse. He'd been utterly vicious to her in the last few weeks, and the poor kid had no idea why. And if he was wise, he'd be sure she never did. But then, he'd been in short supply of wisdom lately. "Regan, don't," he said softly. "I'm calling to apologize. I had no right to speak to you the way I did before."

Regan huffed. But when she spoke, some of the hard edge was gone from her tone. "Ya think? I know I can be a little... impulsive and okay, maybe even a little irritating at times, but I honestly don't know what I ever did to make you hate me so much." He could hear the strain of suppressed emotion in the tightness of her voice.

"I don't hate you." _Mostly true._

"You could have fooled me. I don't think you've said one civil word to me since you transferred to our unit. If it isn't hate, what is it? Loathing? Contempt? Disgust? All of the above?"

Ben stopped walking to lean up against a building. He felt weary to his bones, and not because she was pushing his buttons. The truth was she didn't have to do a damn thing to get under his skin. She'd been a permanent resident there for the last 6 years. He'd moved away from the old neighborhood in hopes that time would erase the memory of what had happened, but here he was, and it was as fresh as if it happened yesterday. He'd transferred into the DC field office while chasing after a promotion, but instead he ran headlong into a past he'd never been able to forget.

The day he'd walked into his new job and seen her there, every moment of self-loathing he'd ever known came roaring back at him until he'd barely been able to function. He could see in Ghostwalker's face (and how odd that no one knew the man's real name he thought) that there was some question as to his mental stability to perform his job. So with no other choice, he'd cloaked himself in hostility toward her, just to get through each day. It had become a pattern, and sort of a "thing" between them ever since, although until today she had brushed it off as though it was some sort of game they were playing, and the challenge was to see who would break down and back off first.

Apparently, she'd won. It ate away at him every time he was cruel to her, and part of what fueled his anger was his own inability to remain indifferent toward her. He'd let Lucas bait him today until his rage was a living breathing thing, capable of acting on its own, and act it had. He was shamed to think about the way he'd treated her earlier. In some distant corner of his mind, he wondered if this is what that Keller dude had to deal with on a daily basis. He kind of felt sorry for the guy if it was.

"Ben?" Regan sounded timid and very unsure of herself. Somehow, it seemed completely incongruous with the self-assured woman she'd become. He hadn't heard her call him by his given name in 6 long years. He felt like they'd suddenly been transported to the night when he'd packed everything he owned in his Honda Civic and drove off, never looking back. Well, that's the image he tried to paint for himself, anyway. But the truth was, he'd watched her in his rearview mirror as he pulled away, until he couldn't discern her form any more. She hadn't understood then why he'd left, or why he had refused to talk to her and say goodbye when she'd come over to see him off with the rest of his family. He sure as hell didn't want to explain it to her now. For all the years that had passed, he still felt as guilty as he had back then. Maybe even more so. But somehow they were going to have to put this behind them, because he couldn't keep ravaging her emotionally at every turn. Ben Harris had never been a mean-spirited bully, and he was damned sure he didn't want to become one, either. He'd better grow a backbone, quick. He was 35 years old, and ought to be able to deal with his emotions in a mature fashion by now. Continuing to berate Regan was starting to feel too much like plucking wings off a faerie.

Regan bristled. "I don't know why you bothered to call if you weren't going to say anything. I'm sorry that my very existence seems to bother you so much. I promise, I'll try to keep our interaction to a minimum."

Ben could tell she was crying by the quiver in her voice. He'd heard that tell-tale sign a couple times before when she was much younger. One time he'd bandaged her up when she cut her knee rollerblading, then took her to the ER for stitches when it wouldn't stop bleeding. Then there was the time he'd held her after a reckless driver had hit and killed her dog Barney. He didn't even realize he'd spoken the thought aloud until he heard her soft gasp.

"What made you mention Barney after all these years?" she asked quietly. She was utterly confused by his actions, but here was a glimmer of the Ben Harris that had always been her hero, and the secret object of her affection for as long as she could remember.

"I was just thinking how you sounded then just like you do now, with that little quiver in your voice. It was never difficult to know how you were feeling, you know."

"I guess. Daddy always said I wear my heart on my sleeve."

"Pretty much." He felt adrift, not sure what to say to her, or where to go from here. "Listen, Regan, I really _am_ sorry for the way I've been acting. There are things about me you don't know; things I really don't want to dredge up and talk to you about. But I want you to know that all this anger I've been venting on you hasn't been about you at all, okay? I'm just angry at myself for a lot of things and it was easier to lash out at you than to be a man and deal with my own issues. I'm going to try to be better about it, and I hope maybe someday you can forgive me." He ended the call before she could respond. He was feeling far too vulnerable, and the last thing he needed was to rehash any more soft memories of their past.

Regan pulled the phone from her ear and just stared at it. She was pretty sure she would never understand men, especially Ben Harris. Here he'd gone and done such a sweet thing by apologizing, then he turned around and hung up on her. But right before he had, he said he hoped she could forgive him. She smiled. Her index finger caressed the picture of him that she had set as the wallpaper on her phone, as she murmured, "Silly man. I already have."

* * *

Evan stared at the results from the mass spectrometer in disbelief. He had been sure that this was another copy-cat killer the more he thought about it; especially after examining the nature of the wounds that had been inflicted on the young woman who had been murdered early that morning. They bore some similarities to the wounds he'd now associated with Vincent, but the lacerations were more uniform in size and less random, unlike a wild animal. Something about this looked too… controlled.

And yet the DNA evidence he had recovered from her body clearly belonged to Vincent Keller. There had been instances of him _helping_ people where he'd left a DNA trail before, but the fact still remained that JT had told him Vincent was unconscious in their loft at the time of the murder, when clearly he had been out and about. After all, DNA didn't just materialize out of thin air.

He wished for the second time that day that he had a way to reach JT Forbes. If he could convince him to meet, and then grill him, he could make the man crack. He was just one nudge away from a meltdown half the time as it was. It shouldn't be too hard to push him to the edge and trip him up. Unfortunately, to this point their association was all on the other man's terms. Evan was between a rock and a hard place. He could only hide his findings from Joe for so long. If he didn't have answers by tomorrow morning, he was going to have to make some very tough decisions.

The only way he knew to reach JT now was through Cat, but he wasn't even sure if she'd regained consciousness yet. He looked at the clock on the wall for the first time in hours. It was already 10 pm! He couldn't believe he'd been holed up in the basement for the last 6 hours working on this case. Maybe the drugs had finally worked out of her system and she would be able to help him. Either that, or he could simply get the number from the address book on her phone…

Evan cleaned the autopsy table and gathered the lab results to take with him. He didn't want to leave any damning evidence lying around until he knew for sure what he was up against. He wasn't sure if Joe had left yet for the night, so he slipped out the side entrance on the lower level and walked around to where they parked behind the precinct. Joe's car was still in the lot – he was glad he'd taken the extra precaution to avoid running into him. He slipped into his car as quickly as possible and took off into the night.

* * *

Alex opened the service entrance door at exactly 10 o'clock. Vincent could have set his watch by it. That was one of the things he remembered about her from their previous life together. She was a stickler for punctuality. He'd never let her know he'd actually already been there for 10 minutes before she arrived. She couldn't stand the thought of people waiting on her.

"Hey," she said quietly as he slipped in through the opening. Once she pulled the door shut and locked it, she turned to hand him the items she had brought. "Lab coat and mask, as requested," she listed off, "and a stethoscope to complete the ensemble." She smiled, but there was a bittersweet quality to it, and the smile never quite reached her eyes, which connected with his gaze for only a brief moment before looking away again. "I've already done some preliminary work briefing the officer on duty that there would be a doctor remaining in the room all evening to supervise Catherine's treatment. I also made sure to be the one doing all her care this evening, so that it wouldn't raise suspicion that there would be a doctor tending to her when I hadn't bothered to myself."

"Wow, Alex – that's great," he complimented her. She blushed, and still wouldn't look him in the eye, but he could tell she accepted his praise as genuine. He followed her through the halls as they quietly navigated the lower level of the hospital to avoid detection.

"Has she regained consciousness?" he asked idly, to fill the awkward silence. He knew full well she hadn't.

"Not yet," Alex confirmed. "She _is_ stable though, and I anticipate she'll come out of the effects of the overdose sometime in the next few hours. It's good she'll have someone familiar with her when she does. She might be agitated and disorient-" She stopped herself mid-sentence. "But of course, you know all this. I'm sorry. It's just… it's been so long."

"And… you're uncomfortable around me." She winced, confirming his suspicion. "Alex, look. I want you to know that I meant it when I said I did what I did to protect you and spare you and the family a lot of heartache. If I could have spared you all of this, I would have. I hope you know that."

"I know," she told him. "And I know there are a lot of things going on that you can't tell me about, and that's fine, really. I've accepted your explanation about why you never came back."

"But…?" he prompted. He could feel her unresolved questions lingering in the air between them.

"But," she repeated slowly, "I know there are things you are _choosing _to not tell me. Things that have nothing to do with why you pretended to be dead."

Vincent's heart did a weird flip. He was used to adrenaline surging for a fight, but this weird nervous fluttering could easily develop into _flight_ mode if he wasn't careful. He drew a few deep, controlled breaths to get himself in order. "What kind of things?" he finally ventured to ask.

Alex stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face him. "I know that there's more to this relationship with Catherine Chandler than you've told me. I was hoping you would have told me this afternoon when we talked about it, but apparently you don't want _that_ much honesty between us. I get that we can't go back and recapture what we had, but it still bothers me that we've fallen so far to the point you feel you have to lie to me."

Vincent took a step closer and looked down into her face. "Alex, I didn't lie to you this afternoon. Everything I told you was true, alright? Yes, there is more to it, and I had fully intended to tell you, but then you kind of derailed the discussion onto something else… I don't even remember what now, but then the moment was lost. We had moved on to other topics and it just felt… awkward to go back and say, 'oh by the way, I'm also in love with her.' Can you understand that?"

At Alex's gasp, Vincent closed his eyes in self-loathing. He hadn't meant to just blurt it out like that. But sometimes she didn't know when to stop pushing. "Look, I'm sorry, that was brutal. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. But now you know. You wanted to know what my relationship with Catherine is, and now you do. Are you finally satisfied?"

"How long?" The question was barely a whisper, but there was nothing wrong with his hearing. He wasn't even going to pretend he didn't know what she was asking him.

"Catherine didn't even know I existed until 4 months ago," he told her. Knowing she'd just keep calculating and pondering the situation, he decided to forestall the 20 questions session and just lay it all out on the table for her. "Yes, I saved her from the hit men that tried to kill her 9 years ago, but she had fallen and hit her head. Her vision was blurry, and she never saw me, never knew who I was.

"I had been on the run for a little over a year, and I was depressed to the point of almost being suicidal. I had lost everything – my friends, my family, _you_…" He let the reality of that sink in with her for a moment. "_Every day_ I wanted to reach out to you but I couldn't. I wouldn't _let_ myself, because keeping you safe was the one last act of love I could give you. Anything else would have been total selfishness.

"Anyway, the night that I saved Catherine, everything started to change for me. Suddenly I realized that just because I couldn't be a doctor didn't mean I couldn't still help people. So that's what I started to do. I had to be careful; I had to do my thing under the cloak of darkness in order to keep from being recognized. But I started to find that my life could still have meaning. With that, I was able to start to move forward again, and even though I still missed you and the family, I started to heal; to have moments where I didn't feel overwhelmed with emotional pain. I was finally able to stop considering making myself a walking target a viable option. So I guess in a way, when I saved Catherine, she saved me, too. She became a symbol of hope for me – a kind of touchstone I could look back at and give myself permission to grieve and move on. I wasn't lying when I said I watched over her out of respect for her mom, but I also did it because it gave me comfort. To see that I had done something good and right with my life, you know?"

"But Vince, you've done a lot of good things in your life! You're one of the best, kindest people I ever knew. Why should you need to be reassured about that?"

"Because the Vincent Keller you knew and loved – he doesn't exist anymore. Not really. Alex, I've seen things… _done _things… that I'm ashamed of. Things I can never undo; that will torment me for the rest of my life. But in the middle of all that, Catherine has become this ray of light in the darkness for me. When she finally discovered me because of a case she was working on, she also managed to trip into the knowledge about my past that I'd been hiding from. We came together out of some pretty dark places for both of us. Yet somehow through it all, we managed to forge a relationship away from prying eyes and government assassins and the specter of her mother's death to bring joy into each other's lives. It was almost impossible to accept at first, because I didn't feel worthy, and certainly hadn't considered that it would even be possible for me to ever have something like that again in my life. But in spite of all the darkness in my life – and she knows about it all – she still loves me, and has stood by me when I didn't feel I deserved that kind of loyalty."

"So you couldn't turn to me for that comfort, for that loyalty, but you could take it from a stranger? Do you have any idea how much that hurts, Vince?" He could see the tears welling in her eyes.

"Alex, please don't do this to yourself. None of this is about you. And it wasn't like I said to myself, 'oh, let's ditch Alex and find a new girl to love.' I didn't go out looking to have Catherine find me or find out what I had been involved in. But between her mother's involvement and her own innate curiosity as a cop, she found out just enough on her own to put her in a great deal of danger and almost get herself killed for her trouble. So I _had_ to keep her closer to keep her safe."

"So you started sleeping with her to keep her safe? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Alex, for God's sake will you listen to yourself? You're 32 years old and it's like you haven't grown up a day since I left for Afghanistan. It's all high drama and emotional manipulation with you. It was one thing at 21, but it's time to get over it. And for the record, Catherine and I are not sleeping together, or living together. I was referring to allowing her into my life as a good friend when I said keep her close. "

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say to that; he'd set her down pretty hard with his harsh words, but some part of her knew that he was right. She had been clinging so tightly to the past that it had stunted her emotionally. Now she knew that Vincent had moved on and had found someone new; perhaps she could too. She felt like a weight was being lifted off her shoulders. Silently, she turned and began leading him through the maze of corridors again.

He was relieved to realize how much thought she'd given to their route to the ICU, as she led him through a door that came out on the other side of the elevators from the glass-enclosed lobby. She knew he didn't want to risk any exposure to the men who were lying in wait outside the building. They would take the elevator up the one floor this time instead of using the main staircase in the lobby.

When they reached Catherine's room, the officer stood to greet them. Alex spoke up to make introductions. "Good evening Officer Bagnato. This is the doctor I was mentioning to you earlier." She caught Vincent's eye and he realized her dilemma immediately. Without missing a beat, he held out his hand to the officer.

"Vincent Zalanski," he lied smoothly. Looks like that fake identity was going to come in handy after all. "Nice to meet you." The aging officer nodded, impressed with the firm, confident grip. Nothing he hated more than a wimpy handshake. "I'll be staying the duration in Ms. Chandler's room, just so you know. This isn't my normal rotation, so I don' t have any other patients I'll need to be checking on. My first priority is to assure her safe recovery."

"We all appreciate it, young man," the officer responded. "Miss Chandler is a pretty special little lady. Everyone in the precinct thinks highly of her. I still can't believe something like this could happen not once, but twice to her in such a short period. Hardly seems right." Vincent had to fight the urge to agree wholeheartedly with the officer, being that he wasn't supposed to know Catherine. Instead he opted for a nod of his head, and the assurance that he would take good care of her.

As he turned to go into the room, Alex laid a hand on his sleeve. "I'll be in to check on her one last time before I leave for the night. You'll let me know if there's anything you need?"

Vincent inclined his head in a professional manner. No one had to know that they were all in cahoots up to their eyeballs on this. "That would be great," he answered. "After I look at her chart and see what's in the room I'll be sure to let you know." Responding in kind, Alex nodded her head once, then turned and left. Vincent closed the door behind him and turned out the lights in Catherine's room. After a few seconds his eyes adjusted, and he was able to cross to the window and close the shades. Once that privacy barrier had been established, he turned on the light in her private bathroom to serve as a nightlight. He didn't want her waking to harsh lights and sounds.

He walked to her bedside, and skimmed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. Leaning down, he placed a sweet kiss on her lips, lingering briefly for the comfort it brought him. Sliding his lips over her cheek he whispered, "I'm here Catherine. I'm going to take good care of you, and you're going to come back to me. My life is meaningless without you." He pulled a chair to her bedside and sank into it. It had been a long, stressful day, and he was glad it was finally coming to an end. Laying his head on the mattress next to her leg, he promptly fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22 - Every Man Must Play a Part

Hey everyone, I'm back! Been a rough couple weeks with my dad. Hopefully I'll get a few days to write before we go through it again. I will keep up with this as best I can, because I enjoy it so much. I hope you all do too! Here we go!

**Chapter 22 – Every Man Must Play a Part**

After dropping Heather off to stay with her dad for a while, Tess raced all the way back to the city from the Chandlers' country home. It had gone pretty much the way she had expected; Thomas Chandler was fit to be tied when he learned how much danger his eldest daughter was in. It hadn't helped that Tess couldn't give him any kind of encouraging news about the case, because they didn't have a single lead. She sure hoped that Evan was having some luck with that mauling case at least. She'd hate for the precinct to be dealt 2 black eyes in a 24 hour timespan.

Checking the clock on her dash, she pressed the accelerator toward the floor. She had to make it back to the hospital before Dr. Salter finished her shift and did something stupid like trying to go home by herself.

* * *

Evan pulled into the parking garage and snatched up the file off the passenger seat before vaulting out of the car. He didn't dare let the thing out of his sight. He remembered what happened the last time he hadn't guarded evidence pertaining to Vincent Keller. He jogged across the street, anxious to get to Cat's room and hopefully obtain the information he needed to reach JT Forbes. He was completely unaware of all the eyes that were tracking his movements.

As he entered the lobby, he turned toward the bank of elevators just in time to see Cat's stunning redhead doctor stepping into one of the cars, followed by…_Vincent_? He squinted to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. He noticed the scar on the side of his face. _Nope, definitely Vincent Keller_. Well now, things were getting more interesting by the minute. So much for keeping to shadows and hiding from Muirfield. Evan was beginning to wonder if the whole thing was a lie. But then if it was… how to explain the cross-species DNA linked to Vincent Keller? Not to mention all the attempts that had been made on Cat's life.

Evan hung back, not even trying to catch the elevator before it closed. He had a feeling the two doctors were up to something; he didn't want to tip his hand and let them know he was watching them until he knew for certain what they were about. He couldn't really believe they were the ones responsible for trying to kill Cat earlier, but to be sure, he might want to see if Tess had pulled the security footage from the hall outside Cat's room yet. He caught the next elevator to the second floor, oblivious to the fact Tess had entered the lobby and had been watching his reaction to Dr. Salter and that gorgeous colleague of hers. She wouldn't mind getting_him_alone in the supply closet. Still, there was something vaguely familiar looking about him… She waited several minutes, before crossing the lobby to the staircase, intent on finding out what everyone was hiding. She was tired of being kept in the dark.

As Evan got off the elevator, he headed toward Cat's room, stopping short of being seen by Dr. Salter and Vincent, who were talking to the guard at Cat's door. He ducked into a supply closet across the hall and observed through the cracked door as Vincent introduced himself as Vincent Zalanski. Of course! He was the mysterious doctor boyfriend Cat was supposed to bring to the wedding! He had forgotten all about it with everything that had happened since.

He watched as Alex gently touched Vincent's arm. The look in her eyes said it all._So that's the way of it, eh?_He thought to himself._The ex-fiancée obviously wants to erase the "ex" from the equation._He silently closed the door when he saw her turning to walk down the hall toward his position. He wondered if Cat was aware that she had competition for the beast's affections.

After waiting ample time for Alex to pass by the closet door, he opened it slowly and started to slip out into the hall. "Find what you were looking for, Dr. Marks?" Evan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. Turning, he addressed her with a serious look. One he hoped didn't show how nervous he was at being found spying on her. Fortunately, he was blissfully unaware of someone else spying on _him _from a shadowed recess down the hall…

"Actually, no," he deadpanned, knowing full well that she wasn't going to buy anything he said. "I was looking for office supplies. Seems I forgot my pen."

"Our supplies – office or otherwise – are not here for the general public's use," she sniped. "You'd do well to remember that. I'd hate to have to call security to remove you from the hospital."

Evan gave an incredulous chuckle. "Over a pen? Seriously? Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Dr. Salter?"

"Maybe. If it really was a pen we were discussing here. But that's not _really _what you're after here, and we both know it. So why are you here, spying on me?"

"You flatter yourself, Doctor," he said with an imperious look. "Quite honestly, I'm not the least bit interested in you. Any more than Vincent apparently is."

Ouch. Alex silently assessed her adversary._This guy is playing for keeps_, she thought. Yet behind that cruel smirk he flashed her, there was almost something…_sad_in his eyes. She wondered if he was carrying a torch for Cat- "Wait. What did you just say?"

"Which part? The part about my not being interested in you? Or the part about you wasting your time wishing Vincent was?"

"Y-you know who he is?" She hated that she stammered when she got upset, but it couldn't be helped. How did Evan Marks know about Vincent?

"Yes, I know full well who and_what_he is," he replied with a meaningful look. "I'm doing some research to try and fix-"

"What do you mean 'what he is'? What hasn't he told me?" She started backing toward the door. Did Muirfield have someone inside NYPD too?

"You mean you don't know why he's had to pretend to be dead all these years?" _Interesting_, Evan thought. _Apparently he's keeping secrets from the ex._

"He just said something about some top secret mission he was on in Afghanistan and that he knew too much…" Her eyes asked all the questions she couldn't bring herself to put voice to. Was there more to what had happened than he had told her? And if so, why was he still lying to her? They also conveyed how afraid she was of Evan at that moment.

Evan wasn't about to answer her questions, but he_could_allay her fear. If she ran off like a scared rabbit who knew what damage she could do? "Hey, you don't need to be afraid of me knowing about him. I'm Catherine's friend and I'm trying to help them."

"Said the wolf to the sheep." _Great, Alex. Antagonize him. That will go well._

Evan laughed, not the least bit offended. "Yes, well, I can see your concern. But I'm not a wolf and you-" He pointed and wagged his finger almost playfully at her. "You are no innocent lamb, doctor. I saw the way you looked at him. And I should warn you not to waste your time. That way lies heartache."

"The voice of experience,_doctor_?" she mimicked back.

"Unfortunately, yes." She was startled by his unexpected candor. "But loving someone sometimes means realizing that you aren't what makes them happiest. And if you _really _love someone, isn't their happiness what's important? It's only selfishness that would make you want your own happiness above theirs."

"If that's the case, why are you always hanging around Catherine, and sneaking up here after hours to try and get into her room?" Alex wasn't about to be preached to by a hypocrite - especially when his words were uncomfortably close to the truth.

"My business here is none of_your_business, but it's just that - business, of the NYPD variety. I'm not at liberty to discuss anything more than that with you. Now… how is Cat doing? Is there any change? Has she woken yet?"

Alex was feeling a bit peevish still. This man really knew how to get under her skin. "I don't see as I have any obligation to tell you that information, since you aren't next of kin."

"Really? So you want to play it that way? Well let me just warn you, that if I have to call Lieutenant Bishop down here to get you to talk, he won't be happy. And let me_also_warn you, that you won't like him when he's not happy. Now, I'm here in an official capacity about an ongoing investigation, which Cat has knowledge of and possesses pertinent information that I can't seem to obtain any other way. Lord knows, this was my last option. Believe me, I didn't want to have to come here anymore than you want me to be here, but it was unavoidable."

She wasn't sure which she hated more – having this man expose her hidden desire to reunite with Vincent, or being scolded like a child. Alex looked at the floor, disturbed because a part of her knew she had it coming to her for being so difficult. "She's still unconscious – or at least, she was when I left her room a few minutes ago. I expect her to regain consciousness any time now."

"Well is there any reason I can't wait with Vincent for that to happen then? I really need to speak with her." He wasn't about to tell her that the information he needed he could actually get from Vincent. That was a whole can of worms better left unopened.

Dr. Salter looked at her watch. She still had rounds to make before she could make a final check on Catherine and leave for the night. "I suppose not," she conceded on a heavy sigh. "Just know that if Vincent deems it best that you leave, you better listen to him, or I will have you tossed out of the hospital on your ear. Are we clear on this?"

"Crystal," he agreed, trying to suppress the smirk that was playing with the corners of his mouth. He found himself amused by her attempt at being tough. He had to admire her bravado, even if he_could_see right through it.

"Fine then, come on." Her nose lifted slightly, disgusted with his condescending smirk, and opened the door. She walked out of the supply closet it like it was the most natural thing in the world to be holding clandestine meetings in there, trusting that Evan would follow her without hesitation – which, he did. She stopped at Cat's room, and gave clearance to the officer to let Evan into the room. Without another word, she stormed off and left him standing there alone. Evan watched her walk away with a huge grin on his face. For all her sass, he wasn't quite sure why he found her so entertaining.

From where she watched down the hall, Tess wondered what on earth was going on with Dr. Salter and Evan. First they disappear into a closet together and then she has to tell the guard to let him into Cat's room? Surely the officer would have known to let Evan in as part of NYPD – wouldn't he? And what was all the weird tension between them about anyway? As Alex neared her position, she stepped out from the alcove she was lurking in, to catch the doctor's attention.

"Hey, Dr. Salter," she called out. Alex's head snapped up at the sound of her name.

"Oh, Detective… Vargas, is it? Sorry I didn't see you there." Tess smiled. Not being seen had kind of been her objective.

"Hey, no problem," she assured the other woman. "I just wanted to let you know I'm back on the premises so you don't wander out of the hospital without me."

Alex stopped in her tracks. "Really, do you think this is necessary? Surely you don't think these men would try to come back here again, with all the police presence there's been today?"

"Probably not," Tess agreed, but continued, "and that's the _reason _for the police presence –_and escort_. To make sure they _don't _try anything else."

Alex appeared discomfited by her snarky outburst at the detective. After all, the woman was just doing her job. "Yes, you're right of course," she conceded. "I'll probably be done here in about 45 minutes. I'm running a little behind schedule."

"No problem," Tess told her with a dismissive gesture. "I'll just be hanging around when you're ready." _And seeing what dirt I can dig up about what everyone is doing so secretly around here_, she added to herself.


End file.
